Investigating the CFTR Cl Channel Using the Patch-Clamp Technique: An Overview

Patch-clamp recording is undoubtedly the leading method for studying the behaviour of ion channels. In 1976, Neher and Sakmann (1) first used the cell-attached configuration of the patch-clamp technique to resolve current flow through single acetylcholine-activated cation channels in frog skeletal muscle. Subsequent improvements to the technique produced a range of methods for the high resolution recording of current flow through ion channels in both intact cells and excised membrane patches (2). What makes the patch-clamp technique so powerful is its ability to resolve current flow through one or more ion channels in real time. A further strength of the technique is that many different types of ion channels in a wide variety of cell types are amenable to study.