Single 5-HT3 receptor-gated ion channel events resolved in N1E-115 mouse neuroblastoma cells

In order to resolve single channel events underlying the 5-HT3 receptor-gated ion current in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells patch clamp experiments have been performed on excised outside-out membrane patches under optimized experimental conditions. When the driving force for Na+ through the 5-HT3 receptor-gated ion channel is enhanced by raising the external Na+ concentration to 180 mM and by substituting internal K+ with the relatively impermeable cation N-methyl-D-glucamine, a single conductance level is observed in the presence of 5-HT. Single channel activity is observed only in the presence of the agonist and is blocked by 50 nM of the selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist MDL 72222 in a reversible manner. At membrane potentials more negative than -60 mV discrete single channel events can be resolved with a conductance of 5.6 +/- 1.2 pS.