Manipulation and electroporation of the avian segmental plate and somites in vitro

The chick embryo has been a leading model in embryological studies, including somitogenesis, because of its easy accessibility for manipulation during most of its development. The recent development of gain- and loss-of-function strategies of specific genes by electroporation has made the chick embryo an even more attractive model for embryological studies. In vitro electroporation, combined with whole chick embryo culture techniques, provides a wide range of possible approaches to study early stages of chick embryogenesis. We will describe in vitro electroporation techniques that are useful to study the development of somites (and any other derivative of the primitive streak and epiblast), and discuss potential applications of these methods.