JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments
Microbiology
0 views • 2:08 min • August 31st, 2026
Begin with an anesthetized mouse placed supine, with the thoracic skin shaved.
Disinfect the shaved skin.
Use ultrasound imaging to visualize the heart and identify the outer wall of the left ventricle.
Take a microsyringe containing a recombinant virus that encodes a test gene suspected to affect heart function.
Under ultrasound guidance, insert the needle into the ventricular wall.
Inject the virus into the muscle layer of the wall.
Perform a second and third injection, targeting different ventricular sites to achieve broader gene expression.
Withdraw the needle and allow the mouse to recover.
The virus binds to receptors on ventricular muscle cells, initiating receptor-mediated endocytosis and transport of the viral genome to the nucleus.
The viral genome expression leads to the synthesis of the encoded protein.
The mouse model is now ready to assess the effects of virus-induced gene expression on heart function.
To begin, sterilize the left lower chest region of the anesthetized mouse with alternating rounds of an iodine-based or chlorhexidine-based scrub, in alcohol, three times in a circular motion. Under ultrasound imaging guidance, insert the needle of the syringe containing the virus
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