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Quantal Release Analysis of Electrochemically Active Molecules Using Single-Cell Amperometry

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Chromaffin Cells

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2565))

Abstract

Single-cell amperometry is a powerful technique that permits the detection of electrochemically active transmitters, such as catecholamines, histamine, or serotonin, released by exocytosis from secretory cells.

Amperometry has two main characteristics that make it ideal for the study of exocytosis at the single-cell level with single-vesicle resolution quantal release. (i) It is noninvasive. The carbon fiber microelectrode can be carefully positioned on plasma membrane of a single cell, allowing the detection of the oxidation current of the secreted molecules. (ii) High temporal resolution and sensitivity. Exocytosis can be monitored with a real-time resolution that allows the determination of the kinetics release with an attomol detection sensitivity, which ensures an accurate calculation of the amount of transmitter released.

Here, we compile some recommendations and advices to perform amperometry quantal analysis.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PID2020-116589GB-I00).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dpto. Medicina Física y Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

    José David Machado

  2. Pharmacology Unit, Department of Physical Medicine and Pharmacology, Medical School, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

    Pablo Montenegro

  3. Dpto. Bioquímica, Microbiología, Biología Celular y Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Sección Biología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

    Natalia Domínguez

Authors
  1. José David Machado
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  2. Pablo Montenegro
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  3. Natalia Domínguez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to José David Machado .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Pharmacology, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain

    Ricardo Borges

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© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

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Machado, J.D., Montenegro, P., Domínguez, N. (2023). Quantal Release Analysis of Electrochemically Active Molecules Using Single-Cell Amperometry. In: Borges, R. (eds) Chromaffin Cells. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2565. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2671-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2671-9_14

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-2670-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-2671-9

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