Electrophysiological recordings from the neuromuscular junction of C. elegans

Electrophysiology provides a quantifiable measure of synaptic activity useful in the functional analysis of synaptic proteins. Recent advances in the application of this technique to C. elegans provides a means of coupling genetics to electrophysiological analysis, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating neurotransmission. Here we describe a dissection technique that exposes the neuromuscular junctions of C. elegans for electrophysiological analysis. This technique can be adapted to record from virtually any excitable cell in the worm.