Patch-clamp Electrophysiology
Patch-clamp Electrophysiology - Related Videos
09:43
Patch Clamp Electrophysiology
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2023
Neuron cell membranes are populated with ion channels that control the movement of charge into and out of the cell, thereby regulating neuron firing. One extremely useful technique for investigating the biophysical properties of these channels is called patch clamp recording. In this method, neuroscientists place a polished glass micropipette against a cell and apply suction to form a high resistance seal. This process isolates a small “patch” of membrane that contains one or more ion channels.
10:36
Culturing and Electrophysiology of Cells on NRCC Patch-clamp Chips
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Cited by 6 •
2012
We show how planar patch-clamp chips fabricated at the National Research Council of Canada are sterilized, primed, loaded with medium, plated with cells, and used for electrophysiological recordings.
03:42
Whole-Cell Patch Clamp Electrophysiology: A Method to Study Electrical Properties of Neurons
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2023
This protocol describes a technique called whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology, which is a method to study electrical properties of Mauthner neurons and other reticulospinal cells in zebrafish embryos.
03:34
Establishing a Whole-Cell Patch Clamp for Electrophysiological Recording from Vomeronasal Sensory Neurons
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2025
The protocol video describes establishing a whole-cell patch clamp for electrophysiological recording from the sensory neurons of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) in mice. A coronal VNO slice with fluorescently labeled sensory neurons is placed in a recording setup. A labeled neuron is patched with a recording pipette in a whole-cell configuration for electrophysiological recording in response to chemical stimuli.
08:39
Whole-cell Patch-clamp Recordings for Electrophysiological Determination of Ion Selectivity in Channelrhodopsins
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Cited by 26 •
2017
This article describes how the ion selectivity of channelrhodopsin is determined with electrophysiological whole-cell patch-clamp recordings using HEK293 cells. Here, the experimental procedure for investigating chloride selectivity of an anion-selective channelrhodopsin is demonstrated. However, the procedure is transferable to other channelrhodopsins of distinct selectivity.
FAQs
A high-resistance seal electrically isolates the membrane patch from much of the surrounding electrical environment. This improves the ability to detect currents associated with ion channel activity while reducing interference from other membrane regions. Because the pipette also supports control of voltage or current, researchers can relate measured changes to defined experimental conditions.
These configurations provide different recording contexts rather than interchangeable labels. Whole-cell, cell-attached, and isolated-membrane measurements can be chosen to examine synaptic inputs, action potentials, or neurotransmitter-gated channels. Comparing them helps investigators connect electrical behavior of a neuron with activity at its membrane or individual ion channels while maintaining experimentally defined conditions.
Voltage control and current control emphasize different experimental variables. Holding or changing one of these electrical properties allows investigators to examine how membrane behavior and ion channel activity respond under defined conditions. In neuroscience, that flexibility supports analysis of synaptic inputs and action potentials, as well as characterization of neurotransmitter-gated channels.
A recording typically begins by positioning a glass micropipette at a selected cell membrane and forming the high-resistance seal. The investigator then uses an appropriate configuration, such as whole-cell, cell-attached, or isolated-membrane, and records currents while controlling voltage or current under defined conditions. The resulting traces can be interpreted in relation to cellular or channel-level activity.
Patch-clamp measurements can reveal how synaptic inputs and action potentials shape neuronal signaling, while also exposing activity of neurotransmitter-gated channels. The data therefore connect electrical events in an individual neuron with specific membrane currents. In neuroscience experiments, this helps characterize circuit function by showing how cellular excitability and channel behavior contribute to communication.
Because the technique measures neuronal electrical behavior directly, it can compare physiological states across experimental conditions. Investigators can use it to examine disease-related changes in excitability and to test how drugs or genetic modifications alter neuronal physiology. Such comparisons are especially useful when the question requires linking a treatment or genetic change to membrane currents, channel activity, or signaling behavior.