[Activity of exogenous genetic designs, introduced into cells by a ballistic transfection method, in murine ontogenesis]

We used the method of particle bombardment (ballistic transfection) to introduce beta-galactosidase and human dystrophin genes into mouse embryos and skeletal muscles of adult mice. We examined the mechanisms of DNA transfer into skeletal muscle cells, the biological processes accompanying and following this transfer, the susceptibility of various types of muscle cells to transfection, and the duration of expression of and conditions affecting the introduced genes. We have also developed an effective, convenient, and practical methods of skeletal muscles transfection.