In vivo and in vitro expression of foreign genes in mouse testicular cells

In order to attain efficient foreign gene expression in testicular cells cultured in vitro and in the testis of living mice in vivo, the chlorampenicol acetyltransferase (CAT)gene was transfected by calcium phosphate precipitation, electroporation, lipofection or microparticle bombardment. The results showed that in the cultured testicular cells, CAT activity was detected only by the calcium phospate preciptation and microparticle bombardment methods with poor expression frequency at 48 hrs after the trasfection. In contrast, when the same CAT reporter gene was transfected by the in vivo microparticle bombardment method to the testis of living mice, more than half samples exerted CAT gene expression at 48 hrs after the trasfection with higher CAT activities in the in vivo bombardment method than those in the two in vitro methods. It was suggested, therefore, that the in vivo microparticle bombardment would provide a convenient means of gene transfer in the testis of living mice.