Single-Cell Electroporation of siRNA in Primary Neuronal Cultures

Single-cell electroporation is a recently developed method to introduce polar and charged molecules such as dyes, drugs, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids into single and identified cells. This feature is advantageous, especially in investigations of the nervous system, because the nervous system is composed of various types of cells. Using this method, we transferred siRNA into cerebellar neurons in primary cultures. The gene-silencing effects of siRNA introduced by this method were evaluated by real-time monitoring using GFP imaging over several days after electroporation. The experimental results indicate that this technique could be a simple but effective tool for silencing gene expression in primary neuronal cultures.