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Patch Clamp

Patch Clamp

Many fundamental cell functions such as muscle contraction and nerve transmission rely on the electrical signals produced by the movement of positively and negatively charged ions across the cell membrane. One competent method to record current flowing across the whole cell or single ion channel is the patch-clamp technique.
In this method, a glass micropipette containing electrolyte solution is tightly sealed against a small portion of the cell membrane. As a result, a patch of the cell...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Voltage-Dependent Potassium Current Recording on H9c2 Cardiomyocytes via the Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp Technique

Voltage-Dependent Potassium Current Recording on H9c2 Cardiomyocytes via the Whole-Cell Patch-Clamp Technique

Published on: November 11, 2022

Whole-cell voltage clamp recording.

¹University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Current Protocols in Neuroscience

|April 23, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Whole-cell voltage clamping monitors membrane current changes to reveal how voltage-gated channels transition between states. This method aids in studying channel gating mechanisms and identifying specific channels.

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Area of Science:

Electrophysiology
Molecular Biology
Neuroscience

Background:

Voltage-gated ion channels are crucial for cellular electrical signaling.
Understanding channel gating mechanisms is essential for pharmacology and disease research.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe the application of whole-cell voltage clamping for studying voltage-gated ion channels.
To highlight the technique's utility in elucidating channel gating mechanisms and identifying specific channels.

Main Methods:

Whole-cell voltage clamping to apply stepwise voltage changes.
Monitoring of membrane current to observe channel state transitions.
Selective activation of channel populations for targeted study.

Main Results:

Stepwise voltage changes induce channel state interconversions, observable as current changes.
The kinetics of state redistribution provide insights into channel gating mechanisms.
The technique allows for the selective study of specific ion channel populations.

Conclusions:

Whole-cell voltage clamping is a powerful method for investigating voltage-gated channel function.
This technique facilitates the detailed study of channel gating and the identification of pharmacologically or biologically manipulated channels.
The method is adaptable for studying ligand-gated channels, synaptic potentials, and exocytosis.