title: Coating gold particles with DNA (biolistics).
abstract: Imaging and reconstruction of developing neurons require cells that are labeled in a way that distinguishes them from their neighbors. This can be achieved with ballistic labeling, which refers to the delivery of a cell label by means of carrier particles (tungsten or gold) propelled from a pressurized gun. Ballistic delivery can reach many dispersed cells in one shot and can deploy a wide variety of cell markers to neurons in diverse preparations. The three most commonly used types of ballistic labels are carbocyanine dyes, dextran-conjugated fluorescent markers, and DNA plasmids. The primary advantage of ballistic labeling is that multiple dispersed cells can be labeled quickly in live or fixed tissue. This article describes a protocol for coating gold particles with plasmid DNA, which can be used to label developing ganglion cells in retinal flat mounts.
authors.forename: Josh L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kerschensteiner
mesh_terms: D019470:Biolistics / Q000379:methods*; D003584:Cytological Techniques / Q000379:methods; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D006046:Gold / Q000378:metabolism*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000378:metabolism*; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D052638:Particulate Matter; D006046:Gold; D004247:DNA