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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: Dec 15, 2025

Ex Vivo Optogenetic Interrogation of Long-Range Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity from Medial Prefrontal Cortex to Lateral Entorhinal Cortex

Ex Vivo Optogenetic Interrogation of Long-Range Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity from Medial Prefrontal Cortex to Lateral Entorhinal Cortex

Published on: February 25, 2022

Studying Neuronal Function Ex Vivo Using Optogenetic Stimulation and Patch Clamp.

Ayla Aksoy-Aksel^1,2, Julien Genty¹, Martin Zeller¹

¹Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|July 12, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Optogenetics uses light-activated proteins to map neural circuits. This method, employing Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) and patch-clamp recordings, reveals novel synaptic connections in the brain.

Keywords:

Brain slices Channelrhodopsin-2 Ex vivo Neural circuits Optogenetics Synaptic connectivity Whole-cell patch-clamp

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Molecular Biology
Genetics

Background:

Optogenetics is a powerful tool for studying neural circuits.
It involves expressing light-sensitive proteins (opsins) in neurons to control their activity with light.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe a protocol for investigating neural connectivity using optogenetics.
To map functional properties of local and long-range connections in the brain.

Main Methods:

Utilizing Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), a light-gated cation channel, fused with fluorescent proteins.
Stereotaxic delivery of viral vectors for targeted ChR2 expression in specific brain regions.
Employing whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in acute brain slices for functional analysis.

Main Results:

Optogenetic mapping identified novel synaptic connections.
Detailed investigation of known anatomical connections was achieved.
Functional properties of neural circuitry were characterized.

Conclusions:

This optogenetic protocol enables functional interrogation of neural circuits.
It provides a method for studying both local and long-range brain connectivity.
The technique advances the understanding of neural circuit function and synaptic connections.