Functional analysis of mammalian genes using amphibian embryonic cells

We describe a method that contributes to the analysis of the functions of mammalian genes by the use of amphibian embryos and electron microscopy. Following forced expression of specific mammalian genes in amphibian embryos, we attempted to deduce the function of each gene from the ultrastructural changes in cell organelles caused by its overexpression. This method has been applied to the analysis of the functions of genes isolated from mammalian skeletal muscle and the results have shown it to be an effective technique for such studies. We present the results of our experimental studies using this method and discuss its usefulness in analyzing mammalians genes.