Single or Double Patch-Clamp Recordings In Ex Vivo Slice Preparation: Functional Connectivity, Synapse Dynamics, and
Jean Simonnet1, Louis Richevaux2,3, Desdemona Fricker4,5
1Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|October 29, 2020
Summary
This study details patch-clamp recording techniques for analyzing neuron electrophysiology and connectivity. It includes protocols for brain slice preparation and optogenetic stimulation experiments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Electrophysiology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Patch-clamp recording is crucial for understanding neuronal electrical properties and synaptic connections.
- Optogenetics enhances patch-clamp by enabling targeted activation of specific neural pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive guide for performing patch-clamp recordings in brain slices.
- To detail methods for investigating neuronal connectivity using optogenetic tools.
Main Methods:
- Describing essential equipment for patch-clamp electrophysiology.
- Outlining surgical procedures for preparing horizontal hippocampal brain slices.
- Providing step-by-step protocols for whole-cell patch-clamp recordings.
- Detailing single neuron stimulation and optogenetic photostimulation techniques.
Main Results:
- Successful establishment of patch-clamp recordings in whole-cell configuration.
- Demonstration of protocols for stimulating individual neurons and optogenetically activated axon terminals.
Conclusions:
- The described methods facilitate detailed electrophysiological characterization of neurons and their connections.
- This protocol enables investigation of long-range neuronal connectivity using combined patch-clamp and optogenetics.
