siRNA-Mediated Downregulation of Gene Expression in Cultured Rat Pineal Cells

Suspension primary cultures of rat pineal cells have been used for decades to determine biochemical regulatory mechanisms of pineal melatonin synthesis, but more recently, RNA interference technology has made the study of the role of specific genes in this melatonin-proficient model system possible. We here present a protocol for preparing rat pineal cell cultures and efficiently knock down gene expression by use of synthetic siRNA.