Failure to infect embryos after virus injection in mouse zygotes.
BACKGROUND
The intracytoplasmic injection of sperm raises the problem that viral elements may be transported into the oocyte by the spermatozoon or the surrounding medium. It also raises questions about how the developing zygote will behave.


METHODS
We used the murine model to microinject murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) into the zygote ooplasm and followed the changes in these microinjected zygotes in vivo and in vitro over time.


RESULTS
80% of zygotes microinjected with viral suspension, and 80% injected with medium alone, survived. Although MCMV DNA was detected in 56% of injected embryos, up until the blastocyst stage, the mice born from these injected zygotes developed normally and did not contain MCMV DNA. When embryonic stem cells were co-incubated with MCMV and then transferred into healthy blastocysts, the offspring were normal and did not contain any MCMV DNA.


CONCLUSIONS
Our observations suggest that even if MCMV DNA persists from the zygote to the blastocyst stage, its presence has no detrimental effect on pre-implantation or post-implantation development.
Tebourbi
L
L
Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U-355, 32 rue des Carnets, 92140 Clamart, France.
Testart
J
J
Cerutti
I
I
Moussu
J P
JP
Loeuillet
A
A
Courtot
Anne-Marie
AM
D000818:Animals; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008845:Microinjections; D018146:Muromegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000821:virology; D013997:Time Factors; D015053:Zygote / Q000821:virology*
D004279:DNA, Viral