Gene transfer into circulating primordial germ cells of quail embryos.

During early stages in avian embryogenesis primordial germ cells (PGCs) show a unique migration pathway toward the gonadal anlage through the circulation. In the present study, liposomes consisting of plasmid DNA (pMiwZ; containing lacZ as a reporter) and Lipofectin were injected into the marginal veins of quail embryos during the stages PGCs were circulating in the blood vessels. The lacZ expression was then histochemically detected in the gonads at later embryonic stages, indicating the expression of the injected DNA in PGCs.