IMPROVED LIPID-MEDIATED GENE-TRANSFER INTO PRIMARY CULTURES OF HIPPOCAMPAL-NEURONS

We have examined lipids as transfection agents to introduce recombinan t plasmids into primary cultures of rat hippocampal neurons. By modify ing the protocol for transfection mediated by the commercial reagent D OTAP, we were able to achieve a transfection efficiency of about 3%. E xpression of various transfected gene products was sustained for sever al weeks in culture, the neurons developed normally and the transfecte d gene products were targeted to the appropriate subcellular compartme nt.