Generation of transgenic mice for cardiovascular research

The transgenic mouse technology is a powerful tool that can be used for creating animal models for cardiovascular disease to identify molecular pathogenic mechanisms and for identifying the physiological functions of a novel gene. A transgenic animal can be generated by several methods, which include microinjection of a DNA fragment into the pronucleus, embryonic stem cell manipulation and injection, sperm-mediated transgenesis, and viral infection of preimplanted embryos. The microinjection method is one of the most widely used approaches. This method involves four steps: (1) collection of fertilized eggs from the superovulated female, (2) injection of DNA into the pronucleus of fertilized eggs, (3) transfer of the injected eggs back into the oviduct of a pseudopregnant foster recipient, allowing the eggs to develop into pups, and (4) identification of the transgenic founder and establishment of transgenic lines through further breeding.