Transfection of rat brain cells by electroporation

Genetic intervention is a powerful means for answering basic biological questions about molecular events taking place in brain cells underlying complex behaviors. Traditional transfection method has proved difficult to apply to neuronal cells. We therefore described an alternative procedure for introducing DNA into cultured rat brain cells by electroporation. The various parameters involving the voltage, capacitance and electroporation buffer are investigated. We found that this transfection procedure is simple, reproducible and applicable to rat brain cells in vitro.