FIG. 3.

Schematic representation of the in utero surgical paradigm used for the delivery of HSV/SB amplicon vector platform to the developing mouse brain. Under the surgical plane of anesthesia (Avertin, 0.5 mg/ml), the maternal abdomen of postcoitum 14.5 C57BL/6 mice was shaved and an incision was made to exteriorize the uterus onto a sterile disposable drape. Sterile gauze was placed over the exposed uterus and hydrated with lactated Ringer solution. The appropriate virus combination was mixed at a ratio of 1:1 (total volume, 2 μl; total transducing units, 2 × 10⁴) and delivered to each embryo intraventricularly, using a microinjector. The uterus was placed back into the abdomen and the incision was sutured by interrupted stitching. The virus-infused embryos were allowed to reach full term and left under maternal care for 21 days postpartum, at which time they were killed and the brains were processed for immunohistochemistry (left hemisphere) and integration site analysis (right hemisphere). Color images available online at www.liebertonline.com/hum.