Fugene

FuGENE is a brand of non-viral transfection reagents used to introduce nucleic acids into eukaryotic cells, primarily for transient gene expression experiments. The reagents form stable nano-scale complexes with plasmid DNA or other nucleic acids and promote cellular uptake while minimizing cytotoxicity compared with some lipid-based methods. Several formulations are marketed under the FuGENE name, including FuGENE HD and FuGENE 6, each optimized for different cell types and experimental needs.

Typical use involves mixing DNA with the FuGENE reagent in serum-free medium to form complexes, incubating briefly, and then adding the mixture to cells in culture. Efficiency varies by cell line, sequence and amount of DNA, and timing; serum presence can influence performance, and optimization is often required. Expression from delivered plasmids is usually transient, lasting days to weeks depending on the cell line and plasmid.

FuGENE offers several advantages, including ease of use, relatively low cytotoxicity, and compatibility with many mammalian cell lines and serum-containing media, as well as suitability for co-transfection. Limitations include lower efficiency in some hard-to-transfect lines compared with electroporation or specialized lipid reagents, variability across cell types, and potential interference with certain assays or higher background expression if not optimized. The method is generally used for transient expression rather than stable genome integration.