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Patch clamp technique and biophysical study of membrane channels

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The present work describes the patch clamp technique, which first allowed the recording of single channel currents in biological membranes. In particular, it describes procedures for preparation and applications of the four different patch clamp configurations. Briefly, the cell-attached configuration is widely used for investigating channel modulation by transmitters acting via second messengers. The cell-free configurations (inside-out and outside-out), complementary to one another with respect to the orientation of the membrane surface, are particularly indicated for the study of the biophysics (kinetics, conductivity, selectivity, mechanism of permeation and block) of ionic channels. Finally, the whole-cell configuration which, because of the remarkable feature that it allows voltage clamp of very small cells, has given access to a number of physiologically important preparations never studied before.

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  1. F. Franciolini

    Present address: Istituto Biologia Cellulare, Università di Perugia, via Elce di Sotto, I-06100, Perugia, Italy

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  1. Dept of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, School of Medicine, P.O. Box 016430, 33101, Miami, Florida, USA

    F. Franciolini

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Franciolini, F. Patch clamp technique and biophysical study of membrane channels. Experientia 42, 589–594 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01955551

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