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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Isolation of Human Atrial Myocytes for Simultaneous Measurements of Ca2+ Transients and Membrane Currents
Published on: July 3, 2013
Measurement of single channel currents from cardiac gap junctions
Abstract:
Cardiac gap junctions consist of arrays of integral membrane proteins joined across the intercellular cleft at points of cell-to-cell contact. These junctional proteins are thought to form pores through which ions can diffuse from cytosol to cytosol. By monitoring whole-cell currents in pairs of embryonic heart cells with two independent patch-clamp circuits, the properties of single gap junction channels have been investigated. These channels had a conductance of about 165 picosiemens and underwent spontaneous openings and closings that were independent of voltage. Channel activity and macroscopic junctional conductance were both decreased by the uncoupling agent 1-octanol.
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Patch Clamp
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...
Gap Junctions

