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Blind patch clamp recordings in embryonic and adult mammalian brain slices

Nature Protocols volume 1, pages 532–542 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

To obtain electrophysiological recordings in brain slices, sophisticated and expensive pieces of equipment can be used. However, costly microscope equipment with infrared differential interference contrast optics is not always necessary or even desirable. For instance, obtaining a randomized unbiased sample in a given preparation would be better accomplished if cells were not directly visualized before recording. In addition, some preparations require thick slices, and direct visualization is not possible. Here we describe a protocol for the 'blind patch clamp method' that we developed several years ago to perform electrophysiological recordings in mammalian brain slices using a standard patch clamp amplifier, dissecting microscope and recording chamber. Overall, it takes approximately 3–4 h to set up this procedure.

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Figure 1: Basic set up required to obtain blind patch clamp recordings.
Figure 2: Steps in the formation of a GΩ seal and whole cell patch-clamp using the blind patch clamp method.
Figure 3: The blind technique can be used to correlate cellular morphology with electrical properties.

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Acknowledgements

The electrophysiological traces shown in Fig. 2 were kindly provided by Guillermo Muñoz Elias.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, 10032, New York, USA

    David R Castañeda-Castellanos

  2. Department of Neurology, UCSF School of Medicine, 513 Parnassus Avenue HSW 1201-0525, San Francisco, 94143, California, USA

    David R Castañeda-Castellanos, Alexander C Flint & Arnold R Kriegstein

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  1. David R Castañeda-Castellanos
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  2. Alexander C Flint
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  3. Arnold R Kriegstein
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Correspondence to Arnold R Kriegstein.

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Castañeda-Castellanos, D., Flint, A. & Kriegstein, A. Blind patch clamp recordings in embryonic and adult mammalian brain slices. Nat Protoc 1, 532–542 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2006.75

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