Premium
Studying ion channels in undergraduate laboratories
Author(s) -
Garrill Ashley
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
biochemistry and molecular biology education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.34
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1539-3429
pISSN - 1470-8175
DOI - 10.1111/j.1539-3429.2000.tb00182.x
Subject(s) - ion channel , electrophysiology , patch clamp , biophysics , channel (broadcasting) , ion transporter , chemistry , computer science , nanotechnology , membrane , biology , biochemistry , neuroscience , materials science , telecommunications , receptor
This article describes an undergraduate laboratory that introduces students to ion channels and patch clamp electrophysiology. It is given in conjunction with third year biochemistry lectures on membrane transport proteins and utilises cytoplasmic droplets from Characean algae. These droplets are very easily obtainable (the typical preparation time is around ten minutes). contain abundant channel activity and significantly, readily form the high electrical resistance seals that are required for resolution of single channel events. Most students have been able to observe electrical events that are the result of conformational changes in single protein molecules. When the students are not patch clamping they are set a problem that requires them to devise a model of how several different types of channel might interact to produce a cellular response to osmotic challenge. © 2001 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.