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Recording of mechanosensitive currents using piezoelectrically driven mechanostimulator

Nature Protocols volume 6, pages 979–990 (2011)Cite this article

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Abstract

Mechanotransduction constitutes the basis of a variety of physiological processes, such as the senses of touch, balance, proprioception and hearing. In vertebrates, mechanosensation is mediated by mechanosensory receptors. The aptitude of these mechanoreceptors for detecting mechanical information relies on the presence of mechanosensitive channels that transform mechanical forces into electrical signals. However, advances in understanding mechanical transduction processes have proven difficult because sensory nerve endings have historically been inaccessible to patch-clamp recording. We report here an in vitro model of mechanotransduction that allows the application of focal force on sensory neuron membrane during whole-cell patch clamping. This technique, called mechano-clamp, provides an opportunity to explore the properties and identities of mechanotransducer channels in mammalian sensory neurons. The protocol—from tissue dissociation to patch-clamp recording—can be completed in 7 h.

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Figure 1: Setup of the mechano-clamp device.
Figure 2: Recording of mechanosensitive currents in sensory neurons using the mechano-clamp technique.
Figure 3: Examples of recordings in DRG neurons: the good and the ugly.
Figure 4: Results obtained with the mechano-clamp technique.

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Acknowledgements

We thank L. Rodat-Despoix and A. Fernandez for technical assistance. This study was supported by the CNRS and by grants from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Fondation Schlumberger, ARCInca-2006, UPSA, IRME and Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale.

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  1. Centre de Recherche en Neurobiologie et Neurophysiologie de Marseille, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France

    Jizhe Hao & Patrick Delmas

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  1. Jizhe Hao
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  2. Patrick Delmas
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Contributions

J.H. and P.D. conceived, designed and performed the experiments and wrote the paper.

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Correspondence to Patrick Delmas.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Hao, J., Delmas, P. Recording of mechanosensitive currents using piezoelectrically driven mechanostimulator. Nat Protoc 6, 979–990 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2011.343

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