EARLY SCREENING OF EXPRESSION OF SV40 DRIVEN LACZ INTRODUCED INTO BOVINE EMBRYOS

The present study was conducted to assess gene expression of bacterial lacZ driven by the SV40 promoter at early developmental stages of bovine embryos. The lacZ gene was linearized with BamHI digestion and introduced into the pronucleus by microinjection at 20 hrs after the commencement of in vitro fertilization. Intact bovine blastocysts were not stained with X-Gal, suggesting that there is no endogenous beta-galactosidase activity in these blastocysts. In contrast, the bovine blastocyst cells microinjected with the lacZ gene exerted a characteristic greenish-blue color originating from the bacterial beta-galactosidase activity, albeit at a low rate, i.e. 2.1% of the total fertilized oocytes injected. It was concluded, therefore, that the lacZ gene driven by the SV40 promoter could be used for an indirect screening method in which the presence of transgene is evaluated from the product of transgene expression.