title: Viral inoculation of mouse embryos in utero.
abstract: A technique is described for the injection of live virus into early- and mid-gestation mouse embryos in utero. The procedure is quick, easy, harmless to the embryos, and does not require specialized surgical or microinjection equipment. Since the developing embryo contains most different cell types in a very wide range of differentiation states, the procedure permits a rapid and near complete characterization of the host cell type range in a single experimental system. Under anaesthesia, a simple laparotomy was used to reveal the uterine horns of 9.5 or 12.5 days post-conception(dpc) females. One uterine horn was deflected onto the ventral abdominal surface. Embryos were injected through the uterine wall and the uterine horn replaced into the abdominal cavity. The entire operation could be completed in 10-15 min without distinguishable pain to the mother or adverse effect on the pregnancy. The procedure is presented in sufficient detail to permit its ready adoption in situations where a more complete characterization of host cell type range is sought.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.
authors.forename: Refael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Itah
authors.forename: Inna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gitelman
authors.forename: Jacov
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tal
authors.forename: Claytus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D007813:Laparotomy; D051379:Mice; D008915:Minute Virus of Mice / Q000502:physiology*; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014599:Uterus