Transfection reagents are used to introduce DNA or RNA into eukaryotic cells. Transfection reagents help overcome the barrier caused by the negative charges of both the nucleic acids and the cellular membrane by giving an overall positive charge to the DNA or RNA through the formation of transfection complexes. This interaction is necessary to trigger cellular uptake of the complexes and subsequent release from vesicles into the cytoplasm. Transfection reagents are often cationic lipids or polymers and include calcium phosphate and diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-dextran. Visit the supplier pages for more product information.
The CHO cell line is derived from the ovary of the Chinese hamster and is epithelial in morphology. Transfection using the CHO line is well characterized and has been widely used to generate stably expressing lines. Such lines are crucial in the production of proteins and viruses for research and therapeutics. Described methods for delivering DNA or RNA into CHO include electroporation, calcium phosphate, lipid-based, and liposome-based kits and reagents.