Highly Efficient SiRNA and Gene Transfer into Hepatocyte-Like HepaRG Cells and Primary Human Hepatocytes: New Means for Drug Metabolism and Toxicity Studies

Authors:
Véronique Laurent, Denise Glaise, Tobias Nübel, David Gilot, Anne Corlu, Pascal Loyer
In:
Source: Methods Mol Biol
Publication Date: (2013)
Issue: 987: 295-314
Research Area:
Cancer Research/Cell Biology
Gastroenterology
Basic Research
Platform:
Nucleofector® I/II/2b
4D-Nucleofector® 96-well Systems
4D-Nucleofector® X-Unit
4D-Nucleofector® Y-Unit
Experiment
2. Amaxa® 4D-Nucleofector® technology (Lonza) is a modular electroporation platform comprising a core unit and the X unit as the first functional benchtop system (www.lonza.com/4d-nucleofector). The X unit allows transfection of cells in suspension in either 100 L nucleocuvettes® or 16-well 20 L nucleocuvette® strips. This core system can be completed by connecting additional devices to the core unit such as the 96-well Shuttle® system, the 384-well High-Throughput Nucleofector® systems or the Y unit enabling electroporation of adherent cells in 24-well plates.
Abstract
The metabolically competent hepatocyte-like human HepaRG cells represent a suitable alternative in vitro cell model to human primary hepatocytes. Here, we describe the culture procedure required to expand progenitor HepaRG cells and to differentiate them into hepatocyte-like cells. Transient transfection of gene and siRNA into cultured cells, using nonviral strategies, is an invaluable technique to decipher gene functions. In this chapter, we detail transfection protocols for efficient transfer of plasmid DNA or siRNAs into proliferating progenitor or quiescent differentiated HepaRG cells as well as into primary hepatocytes.