Two-photon scanning photochemical microscopy: mapping ligand-gated ion channel distributions.
Year: 1994
Type: article
Abstract: The locations and densities of ionotropic membrane receptors, which are responsible for receiving synaptic transmission throughout the nervous system, are of prime importance in understanding the function of neural circuits. It is shown that the highly localized liberation of "caged" neurotransmitters by two-photon absorption-mediated photoactivation can be used in conjunction with recording the induced whole-cell current to determine the distribution of ligand-gated ion channels. The technique is potentially sensitive enough to detect individual channels with diffraction-limited spatial resolution. Images of the distribution of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on cultured BC3H1 cells were obtained using a photoactivatable precursor of the nicotinic agonist carbamoylcholine.
Author: W Denk
Institution: AT&T (United States)
Language: English
Subfield: Biophysics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2074870535