siRNA Transfection and Lentiviral Transduction of Primary Mouse Rete testis Cells

The rete testis (RT) connects seminiferous tubules of the testis with efferent ducts. This structure is necessary for sperm transport and performs several other functions important for gonadal physiology. RT cells have a common origin with Sertoli cells, which support the development of male germ cells. Unlike Sertoli cells, RT cells retain the ability to actively proliferate in culture after puberty and therefore can be used for various biomedical applications. The latter implies the need for artificial regulation of RT cell gene expression and their genetic modification. However, it was not known whether such manipulations with primary RT cells were possible. In this study, we showed that RT cells isolated from the RT epithelium of mature mice can be transfected with small interfering RNA using a lipid transfection reagent, which leads to a more than three-fold reduction in the expression level of the target gene. We also found that RT cells can be transduced with a lentiviral vector using polybrene, with transduction efficiency approaching 50%. The possibility of artificial regulation of RT cell gene expression and their genetic modification creates new opportunities for RT cell biology research.