Simultaneous optical and electrical recording of a single ion-channel.
In recent years, the single-molecule imaging technique has proven to be a valuable tool in solving many basic problems in biophysics. The technique used to measure single-molecule functions was initially developed to study electrophysiological properties of channel proteins. However, the technology to visualize single channels at work has not received as much attention. In this study, we have for the first time, simultaneously measured the optical and electrical properties of single-channel proteins. The large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel (BK-channel) labeled with fluorescent dye molecules was incorporated into a planar bilayer membrane and the fluorescent image captured with a total internal reflection fluorescence microscope simultaneously with single-channel current recording. This innovative technology will greatly advance the study of channel proteins as well as signal transduction processes that involve ion permeation processes.
Ide
Toru
T
Single Molecule Processes Project, International Cooperative Research Project, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, Mino, 562-0035 Japan. ide@yanagida.jst.go.jp
Takeuchi
Yuko
Y
Aoki
Takaaki
T
Yanagida
Toshio
T
D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004594:Electrophysiology; D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D024681:Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated / Q000502:physiology*
D051036:Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D024681:Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated