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Updated: May 20, 2026
13:07
One-channel Cell-attached Patch-clamp Recording
Published on: June 9, 2014
Gating the mechanical channel Piezo1: a comparison between whole-cell and patch recording
Philip A Gottlieb1, Chilman Bae, Frederick Sachs
1Center for Single Molecule Biophysics, Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA. philgott@buffalo.edu
Channels (Austin, Tex.)
|July 14, 2012
Summary
Piezo1 channels exhibit distinct inactivation behaviors in cell patches versus whole cells. Force transmission pathways differ, highlighting the importance of context for Piezo1 mechanosensation.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Ion Channel Physiology
Background:
- Piezo1 is a crucial mechanosensitive ion channel involved in cellular responses to mechanical stimuli.
- Understanding Piezo1 gating mechanisms requires comparing its behavior in different experimental contexts, such as cell patches and whole cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the functional properties and gating mechanisms of Piezo1 channels in isolated patches versus whole-cell configurations.
- To elucidate the role of the cellular environment and cytoskeleton in Piezo1 channel mechanotransduction.
Main Methods:
- Patch-clamp electrophysiology to record Piezo1 currents in isolated patches and whole cells.
- Application of mechanical stimuli (pressure, hypotonic swelling) to activate Piezo1.
- Pharmacological manipulation using Cytochalasin D and varying divalent ion concentrations.
Main Results:
- In patches, Piezo1 inactivates via a 3-state model, but repeated stimulation causes irreversible loss of inactivation, suggesting a common mechanical domain.
- Divalent ions modulate unitary conductance, with Zinc significantly slowing inactivation rates.
- Whole-cell currents differ from patch currents; Cytochalasin D inhibits whole-cell currents, indicating actin cytoskeleton involvement, while hypotonic swelling enhances sensitivity in both configurations.
Conclusions:
- Piezo1 exhibits context-dependent gating and inactivation properties, differing significantly between patch recordings and whole-cell configurations.
- Force transmission to Piezo1 involves multiple pathways, including direct membrane tension and cytoskeletal elements.
- Findings caution against generalizing patch-clamp data to in situ cellular behavior of Piezo1.
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