High Efficiency Low Toxicity Large RNA Transfection
While smaller RNA species such as siRNA/miRNA, etc. are routinely transfected by researchers investigating gene function, transfection of large RNA molecules such as mRNA transcripts and viral RNA replicons is an emerging trend. mRNA delivery for protein expression offers an inherent advantage as cytoplasmic delivery is sufficient to initiate translation of the transcript. mRNA is a single stranded RNA molecule that encodes a protein and may have post-transcriptional modifications such as a 5’ cap and 3’ poly(A) tail. It can occur naturally in a mammalian cell or be produced in vitro to mimic natural mRNA. An in vitro transcript is an unmodified RNA molecule produced from a DNA template using one of the three phage DNA-dependent RNA polymerases (T7, T3, or SP6). There have been tremendous improvement in in vitro transcription technology that facilitate transfection of RNA transcripts for prolonged and sustained protein expression. The TransIT®-mRNA Transfection Kit is formulated specifically for delivery of larger RNA species into mammalian cells. It consists of the TransIT®-mRNA Reagent-a novel non-liposomal cationic polymer/lipid formulation and the mRNA Boost Reagent- a proprietary compound. Both components are required to complex with RNA for efficient delivery into the cytoplasm. Salient features of this kit include:
- High Efficiency RNA Delivery - Achieve RNA delivery in a large population of cells to ensure experimental success
- Low Cellular Toxicity - Maintain cell density and reduce experimental biases
- Serum Compatibility - Perform transfections in the presence of serum which eliminates the need for a media change and maintains cellular health
- Delivery of Various Sizes of RNA - Ideal for specialized applications, such as stem cell reprogramming and RNA virus production