Rapid gene transfer into cultured hippocampal neurons and acute hippocampal slices using adenoviral vectors.

Primary cultures of hippocampal neurons were infected with an adenovirus coding for beta-galactosidase. Expression could be detected as early as 4 h after infection and steadily increased to high levels at 24 h without evidence for a functional impairment of the infected neurons. Similarly, adenovirus-mediated gene transfer into acute hippocampal slices was detectable 4 h after infection and could be localized to discrete areas of the CA1 region by microinjection of the virus stock solution. Infected slices were still suitable for electrophysiological experiments.