Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 21, 2026
Modeling Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease In Vitro by Transfecting Mouse Primary Motoneurons
Published on: January 7, 2019
Magnetofection is superior to other chemical transfection methods in a microglial cell line
Silke Smolders1, Sofie Kessels2, Sophie Marie-Thérèse Smolders3
1UHasselt, BIOMED, Diepenbeek, Belgium; Laboratory of Neuronal Differentiation, VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, Leuven and Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Background:
Microglia, the resident phagocytic cells of the brain, have recently been the subject of intense investigation given their role in pathology and normal brain physiology. In general, phagocytic cells are hard to transfect with plasmid DNA. The BV2 cell line is a murine cell line of microglial origin which is often used to study this cell type in vitro. Unfortunately, this microglial cell line is, like other phagocytic cells, resistant to transfection.
New Method:
Magnetofection is a well-established transfection method that combines DNA with magnetic particles which, under the influence of a magnetic field, ensures a high concentration of particles in proximity of cultured cells. Only recently, Glial-Mag was specifically developed for efficient transfection of microglia and microglial cell lines.
Results:
Magnetofection with Glial-Mag yielded a transfection efficiency of 34.95% in BV2 cells, 24h after transfection with an eGFP-expressing plasmid. Efficient gene delivery caused a modest and short-lived cell activation (as measured by IL6 secretion) that ceased by 24h after transfection.
Comparison With Existing Methods:
Here we show that Glial-Mag magnetofection of BV2 cells yielded a significantly higher transfection efficiency (34.95%) compared to other chemical transfection methods including calcium-phoshate precipication (0.34%), X-tremeGENE (3.30%) and Lipofectamine 2000 (12.51%).
Conclusion:
Transfection of BV2 cells using Glial-Mag magnetofection is superior compared to other chemical transfection methods and could be considered as the method of choice to chemically transfect microglial cell lines.
Insights
Glial-Mag magnetofection significantly improves DNA transfection efficiency in BV2 microglial cells. This method offers a superior alternative for transfecting microglial cell lines compared to existing chemical methods.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Microglia are crucial brain immune cells involved in pathology and physiology.
- Phagocytic cells, including microglia and the BV2 cell line, are notoriously difficult to transfect with plasmid DNA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of Glial-Mag magnetofection for transfecting the BV2 microglial cell line.
- To compare Glial-Mag magnetofection with established chemical transfection methods.
Main Methods:
- Magnetofection using Glial-Mag, a reagent specifically designed for microglia.
- Transfection of BV2 cells with an eGFP-expressing plasmid.
- Measurement of transfection efficiency and IL6 secretion.
Main Results:
- Glial-Mag magnetofection achieved a transfection efficiency of 34.95% in BV2 cells.
- This efficiency significantly surpassed other methods like calcium-phosphate (0.34%), X-tremeGENE (3.30%), and Lipofectamine 2000 (12.51%).
- Gene delivery resulted in transient, modest IL6 secretion, indicating minimal cell activation.
Conclusions:
- Glial-Mag magnetofection is a highly effective method for transfecting BV2 microglial cells.
- It offers superior transfection efficiency compared to conventional chemical methods.
- This technique is recommended as the method of choice for chemical transfection of microglial cell lines.
