Work flow for multiplexing siRNA assays by solid-phase reverse transfection in multiwell plates

J Biomol Screen. 2008 Aug;13(7):575-80. doi: 10.1177/1087057108320133. Epub 2008 Jul 3.

Abstract

Solid-phase reverse transfection on cell microarrays is a high-throughput method for the parallel transfection of mammalian cells. However, the cells transfected in this way have been restricted so far to microscopy-based analyses. Analysis methods such as reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and access to higher cell numbers for statistical reasons in microscopy-based assays are not possible with solid-phase reverse transfection on cell microarrays. We have developed a quick and reliable protocol for automated solid-phase reverse transfection of human cells with siRNAs in multiwell plates complementing solid-phase reverse transfection on cell microarrays. The method retains all advantages of solid-phase reverse transfection such as long-term storage capacity after fabrication, reduced cytotoxicity, and reduced cost per screen compared with liquid-phase transfection in multiwell plates. The protocol has been tested for the RNAi-mediated knockdown of several genes in different cell lines including U20S, RPE1, A549, and HeLa cells. We show that even 3 months after production of the "ready to transfect" multiwell plates, there is no reduction in their transfection efficiency as assessed by RT-PCR and nuclear phenotyping by fluorescence microscopy. We conclude that solid-phase reverse transfection in multiwell plates is a cost-efficient and flexible tool for multiplexing cellular assays.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Automation
  • Biological Assay / methods
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Genetic Techniques
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Microscopy
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Phenotype
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Transfection / methods*

Substances

  • RNA, Small Interfering