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L3287

Sigma-Aldrich

Escort IV Transfection Reagent

Lipid reagent for transient and stable transfection of mammalian and insect cells.

Synonym(s):

Gene delivery

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About This Item

UNSPSC Code:
41106502
NACRES:
NA.25
Pricing and availability is not currently available.

grade

for molecular biology

Quality Level

form

liquid (aqueous solution)

usage

 mL sufficient for 160-500 transfections

concentration

1 mg/mL

technique(s)

transfection: suitable

storage temp.

2-8°C

General description

Escort IV is a unique formulation of a proprietary polycationic lipid and a neutral non-transfecting lipid. This liposome-forming compound is used for transfection of nucleic acids into a wide variety of eukaryotic cell types.

Application

Suitable for transient and stable transfection of nucleic acids into cultured eukaryotic cells. Use approximately 4-16 μL Escort IV and 2 μg DNA per 6 cm cell culture plate. Protocol optimization provides very efficient transfection. For a list of cells that have been successfully transfected using Escort IV, see the Transfection Reagent Selection Guide.

Features and Benefits

  • Suitable for stable and transient transfection
  • Optimized for a wide variety of cell lines
  • Low toxicity
  • Compatible with both serum and serum-free transfection protocols
  • Ideal for Sf9, Sf21 and S2 insect cells

Components

Escort IV formulation:
1 mg/mL total lipid in water

Note the identity of the lipids used in Escort IV is confidential.

Caution

Do not freeze.

Principle

A stable complex is formed when Escort IV is mixed with DNA in the absence of serum. The complexes are stable and can be directly added to the cell culture medium, where they fuse with the cell membrane, releasing the DNA into the cytoplasm. Note: complex formation is inhibited by serum, but once stable complexes have formed, the presence of serum is without consequence.

Legal Information

Escort is a trademark of Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC

Storage Class Code

10 - Combustible liquids

WGK

WGK 3

Flash Point(F)

Not applicable

Flash Point(C)

Not applicable

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

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Zev Bryant et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(3), 772-777 (2006-12-22)
Myosin VI supports movement toward the (-) end of actin filaments, despite sharing extensive sequence and structural homology with (+)-end-directed myosins. A class-specific stretch of amino acids inserted between the converter domain and the lever arm was proposed to provide
Melissa D Jordan et al.
Chemical senses, 34(5), 383-394 (2009-03-19)
Moths recognize a wide range of volatile compounds, which they use to locate mates, food sources, and oviposition sites. These compounds are recognized by odorant receptors (OR) located within the dendritic membrane of sensory neurons that extend into the lymph
Manveen K Gupta et al.
Antioxidants & redox signaling, 8(5-6), 1081-1093 (2006-06-15)
Cardiac myocytes, upon exposure to increasing doses of norepinephrine (NE), transit from hypertrophic to apoptotic phenotype. Since reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation is attributed to both phenomena, the authors tested whether an elevation in intracellular ROS level causes such transition.
Michael Povelones et al.
PLoS pathogens, 7(4), e1002023-e1002023 (2011-05-03)
Malaria threatens half the world's population and exacts a devastating human toll. The principal malaria vector in Africa, the mosquito Anopheles gambiae, encodes 24 members of a recently identified family of leucine-rich repeat proteins named LRIMs. Two members of this
H A Clark et al.
Analytical chemistry, 71(21), 4831-4836 (1999-11-24)
Spherical optical nanosensors, or PEBBLEs (probes encapsulated by biologically localized embedding), have been produced in sizes including 20 and 200 nm in diameter. These sensors are fabricated in a microemulsion and consist of fluorescent indicators entrapped in a polyacrylamide matrix.

Articles

Transfection introduces genetic material into cells, aiding research in gene expression and cell biology.

Transfection introduces genetic material into cells, aiding research in gene expression and cell biology.

Transfection introduces genetic material into cells, aiding research in gene expression and cell biology.

Transfection introduces genetic material into cells, aiding research in gene expression and cell biology.

Protocols

The product bulletin providin detailed use protocol for easy DNA transfection.

Product manual provides detailed protocol for easy DNA transfection.

Universal Transfection Reagent enables efficient nucleic acid delivery into various cells, compatible with different cell culture conditions.

Universal Transfection Reagent enables efficient nucleic acid delivery into various cells, compatible with different cell culture conditions.

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Questions

1–10 of 15 Questions  
  1. What are the differences between the two Escort™ products?

    1 answer
    1. Each Escort™ transfection Reagent is a different lipid formulation.  These different formulations are more readily taken up by different cells, presumably by endocytosis.Escort™ III is a unique formulation of a proprietary polycationic lipid and a neutral, non-transfecting lipid.Escort™ IV is a a confidential lipid.

      Helpful?

  2. Is low cell passage number an important consideration for transfection?

    1 answer
    1. Yes, we recommend cells are at a low passage when being  used for any application, including transfection.  The reason why depends on what type of cells they are.  Primary cells will undergo a finite number of divisions, and as they get closer to senesence they divide more slowly - both affecting their ability to take up DNA (transient transfection), and minimizing their abillity to incorporate the DNA into the genome (stable selection).Cultured common cell lines are often immortalized, and generally continue to aquire mutations, leading to a heterogenous population that may perform differently from cells of lower passage number - leading to results that are not reproducible.

      Helpful?

  3. Is optimizing the transfection protocol important?

    1 answer
    1. For many common cell lines, transfection reagent efficiency is very high and the protocols will not require any optimization.  For hard-to-transfect cells or those ultimately expressing a toxic protein, the protocol should be optimized for best transfection efficiency.  Taking time to optimize will give you more transfected cells with each procedure, which can mean more protein expressed and results that are reproducible.

      Helpful?

  4. Can antibiotics be present in the medium during transfection?

    1 answer
    1. We recommend that no antibiotics are present during transfection.  The process of transfection can make the cells somewhat more porous to allow for efficient DNA entry.  During this time, antibiotics will also enter the cells more easily and the cells may show increased cell death.  Wait until about 24 hours after transfection to resume the use of preventative antibiotics and/or start the use of selective antibiotics.

      Helpful?

  5. How can I increase the efficiency of my transfection?

    1 answer
    1. Transfection efficiency is affected by many different things, including plasmid size and purity, media components present, transfection reagent selected, amount of DNA and transfection reagent used, cell density, etc.  Optimizing the protocol with respect to these concerns will allow you to achieve a higher transfection efficiency.  For many cell lines and transfection reagents, optimized protocols are already available.

      Helpful?

  6. What is transfection efficiency?

    1 answer
    1. Transfection efficiency is a measure of how many cells take up the DNA during the transfection process.  Many transfection reagents can achieve a transfection efficiency of >90% in common cell lines.  Other cell lines are hard to transfect, and require special reagents and/or techniques to achieve even a small population of transfected cells.

      Helpful?

  7. Why do I see a precipitate in my cell culture after lipid-based transfection?

    1 answer
    1. The precipitate is likely excess lipid or EDTA and will probablly not affect transfection efficiency.  If your DNA plasmid is suspended in TE, be sure the concentration of EDTA is <0.3 mM, or suspend the DNA in sterile molecular biology grade water instead.

      Helpful?

  8. Can I transfect cells plated at low density?

    1 answer
    1. For most transfections, cells should be >70% confluency the day of transfection, and growing in mid-log phase.  Some transfection reagents are now designed to work with cells at low density, when required.

      Helpful?

  9. Is the size of the plasmid an important consideration for transfection?

    1 answer
    1. The size of the plasmid should be considered when selecting a transfection reagent with the best efficiency.  In general, larger sized plasmids should easily transfect with readily available transfection reagents, as along as the plasmid DNA is of high purity.

      Helpful?

  10. Which Escort™ transfection reagent should I use for my application?

    1 answer
    1. Escort™ III is best for sensitive cells and primary cells, particularly PC-12 and Jurkat.Escort™ IV is excellent for mammalian cell lines, primary cells and insect cells.

      Helpful?

1–10 of 15 Questions  

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