Summary: The production of transfected fish embryos
requires expertise in injecting the fertilized eggs and/or
expensive equipment for electroporation or microprojectiles.
This article demonstrates that by exposure
to DNA constructs conjugated with transfecting reagents
dechorionated Danio rerio embryos are capable
of acquiring extracellular DNA and expressing reporter
genes. Embryos incubated with pCMVluc complexed
with GeneJammer or GenePORTER expressed luciferase
24–48 h after exposure. pCMVGFP DNA mixed
with the same agents generated embryos that exhibited
differential patterns of expression of green fluorescent
protein (GFP). Embryonic development varied depending
on the procedure employed and the reporter gene utilized.
Expression of the luciferase gene did not interfere
with the subsequent development of the embryos. In
contrast, the embryos expressing a high level of GFP
were affected, probably due to a very active promoter.
These results demonstrate the ease of obtaining transfected
fish embryos, which facilitate the mass production
of new genotypes and extend the procedure to laboratories
with limited resources. genesis 31:1–5, 2001.