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Abstract:
Methods for measuring whole-cell and unitary Cl- currents in the soma membrane of cultured spinal cord neurons by the patch-clamp technique are described. To separate single channel Cl- currents activated by the two putative inhibitory transmitters GABA and glycine from other membrane currents, isotonic KCl pipette solutions are used for measurements on cell-attached membrane patches. To isolate unitary Cl- currents in cell-free membrane patches, symmetrical, isotonic Tris Cl- solutions are used in both the pipette and the bath. Single Cl- channels are opened following binding of two agonist molecules to their respective receptors. The gating behavior of single receptor-channel complexes is described in terms of the activation and desensitization mechanism suggested originally by del Castillo and Katz (1957) and Katz and Thesleff (1957)
