Gene Transfer to Dog Oral Mucosa by Gene Gun

Abstract

The gene gun is a useful delivery method for gene introduction. The Helios gene gun, which is a hand-held type, is convenient and effective for delivering a gene to a local site. The purpose of this study is to define the proper conditions for gene transfer to oral mucosa of dog by using a gene gun.
Materials and Methods: By using a Helios gene gun, the introduction of green fluorescent protein (GFP) genes to oral mucosa of dog (tongue dorsal surface, tongue ventral surface, gingiva, buccal mucosa and hard palate) under different pressures was analyzed post-bombardment, and GFP expression was checked under UV-light.
Results: We observed GFP expression in all sites of dog oral cavity, and the most effective site for gene transduction was a buccal mucosa. A pressure of 200 Psi or 250 Psi, 1 shot/area was the best condition for bombardment.
The depth of gold particles was 5mm in buccal mucosa, 4mm in tongue dorsal mucosa and gingiva, and 2mm in palate. Histopathological examination revealed no severe tissue damage.