Preparing injection pipettes on a PUL-1 micropipette puller

DNA sample preparation and loading sample into pipettes for microinjection of cells

The efficient delivery of exogenous DNA to cells for expression and function studies is an essential technique of modern cell biology, and direct delivery of genetic material by microinjection remains a reliable means of transfection. This protocol describes in general the preparation and loading of plasmid DNA for microinjections. Plasmid DNA can be purified by traditional means such as cesium chloride density ultracentrifugation, or by commercially available resin-based purification kits. The resulting preparation can then be delivered into microinjection needles either by backfilling or by a forward-filling approach.

Plating cells for microinjection

The efficient delivery of exogenous DNA to cells for expression and function studies is an essential technique of modern cell biology, and direct delivery of genetic material by microinjection remains a reliable means of transfection. This protocol describes the general procedures needed to culture cells for microinjection. Coverslips need to be marked so that microinjected cells can be identified at desired time points after injection. Coverslips can be etched by the user, as described here, or pre-etched coverslips can be purchased. Once the coverslips have been etched and sterilized, cells can be plated onto them and allowed to grow.