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Prologue: The Ion Channel

  • Protocol
Patch Clamp Techniques

Part of the book series: Springer Protocols Handbooks ((SPH))

Abstract

A historical overview describes how classic electrophysiological techniques, such as membrane potential measurement, seal formation, and the voltage clamp, have evolved into modern patch-clamp techniques. We show that old ideas from seminal papers on ion channels (i.e., gating, inactivation, ion permeation, ion selectivity) have remained as valid concepts for understanding the molecular properties of ion channels. With the currently available three-dimensional crystal structures of channel proteins, in combination with patch-clamping, novel experimental approaches that focus on the dynamic behavior of channel molecules are undergoing.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Physiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan

    Fumio Kukita

  2. Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of Fukui Faculty of Medical Sciences, Fukui, Japan

    Shigetoshi Oiki

Authors
  1. Fumio Kukita
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  2. Shigetoshi Oiki
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fumio Kukita .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Physiological Sciences National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan

    Yasunobu Okada

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© 2012 Springer

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Kukita, F., Oiki, S. (2012). Prologue: The Ion Channel. In: Okada, Y. (eds) Patch Clamp Techniques. Springer Protocols Handbooks. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-53993-3_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-53993-3_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo

  • Print ISBN: 978-4-431-53992-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-4-431-53993-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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