[The binding of exogenous DNA pRK31acZ by rabbit spermatozoa, its transfer to oocytes and expression in preimplantation embryos].

It was shown that 35.3% ejaculated rabbit spermatozoa washed from seminal plasma are capable of interacting with heterogeneous DNA. The major part (85.2%) of bound DNA was located in the post-acrosomal part of the sperm head. After incubation with plasmid pRK31acZ the spermatozoa transferred it in the oocytes during in vivo fertilization, as shown by expression of reporter gene lacZ in 19.3% of preimplantation embryos. Additional treatment of the mobile spermatozoa with DMSO and heat shock raised the efficiency of exogenous DNA incorporation in the spermatozoa, as expressed in the percentage of embryos containing bacterial beta-galactosidase (61.7%). It is proposed to use the capture of heterogeneous DNA by the spermatozoa and its transfer in the oocytes for production of transgenic animals and in studies of regulation of gene expression at the early stages of embryogenesis.