Patch-Clamp Applications and Protocols, Vol. 26

Patch-Clamp Applications and Protocols presents the broadest coverage of techniques for measuring and recording directly activity within a cell. The first part of the book offers modern developments associated with the technology of path-clamp electrodes, of cell-free ion-channel recording, and of the whole-cell patch clamp technique.

Chapters on such recent offspring of the technique as the concentration clamp technique, the pressure clap method, and the perfusion of patch clamp electrodes are contributed by authors intimately involved with their development. Also covered is the loose patch-clamp technique, single-channel recording, the perforated patch-clamp technique, molecular biological aspects of the technique, and the use of the technique in brain slices.

Every scientist working with path-clamp methods will find this protocols manual invaluable to their continued use and development of this powerful technique.

Sarah Shefner

This volume surveys a broad collection of patch-clamp techniques for electrophysiological recording from neurons and other cells. It contains a wealth of practical information, including detailed protocols, helpful hints, recording artifacts, and suggested solutions to common technical problems. This is volume 26 in a series of books on neuroscience methods. The authors have succeeded well in their aim to include adequate methodological detail, actual protocols, and the discussion of the relative utility of the various methods. This volume covers a variety of techniques that otherwise would be accessible only by reading many articles in the primary literature, and it also provides practical details and pitfalls not usually covered in journal articles. This is an excellent resource book for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and senior researchers interested in using patch-clamp technology in their own research. It is an edited volume with a superb list of contributors. The authors of each chapter are experts with hands-on experience in the development and refinement of the particular techniques described. Well chosen and generally high-quality black-and-white illustrations depict electrical recordings, graphic representation of data, and technical diagrams. Black-and-white photographs showing setup of experimental equipment and beautiful color photographs of Xenopus oocytes are also included. References are relevant and include both important older papers and current articles. Very new, state-of-the art techniques are included, e.g., the combination of patch-clamp recording with RT-PCR, in which channel phenotype is determined electrophysiologically in an individualneuron and its intracellular contents aspirated and genetic information regarding the channels of interest is amplified and characterized. This is a superbly written volume by experts on a broad range of patch-clamp applications. It is highly recommended as a resource book for all researchers interested in learning or refining patch-clamp techniques.

Boulton, Alan A. (Univ of Saskatchewan); Baker, Glen B. (Univ of Alberta); Walz, Wolfgang (Univ of Saskatchewan)

The contributors represent the specialties of physiology, cellular biology, pharmacology, and biophysics. Most are from academic institutions, universities, and hospitals in the U.S., Germany, U.K., France, Japan, and Canada. Institutions prominently represented include Washington Univ, School of Pharmacy in the U.K., and Physiologisches Institute, Universitat des Saarlandes in Germany.