title: Efficient Method for Whole-Cell Recording in Freely Moving Rodents Using Ultraviolet-Cured Collar-Based Pipette Stabilization.
abstract: Whole-cell recording is a key technique for investigating synaptic and cellular mechanisms underlying various brain functions. However, because of its high sensitivity to mechanical disturbances, applying the whole-cell recording method to freely moving animals has been challenging. Here, we describe a technique for obtaining such recordings in freely moving, drug-free animals with a high success rate. This technique involves three major steps: obtaining a whole-cell recording from awake head-fixed animals, reliable and efficient stabilization of the pipette with respect to the animal's head using an ultraviolet (UV)-transparent collar and UV-cured adhesive, and rapid release of the animal from head fixation without loss of the recording. This technique has been successfully applied to obtain intracellular recordings from the hippocampus of freely moving rats and mice exploring a spatial environment, and should be generally applicable to other brain areas in animals engaged in a variety of natural behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; leedoyun@ibs.re.kr leea@janelia.hhmi.org.
authors.forename: Doyun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia 20147 leedoyun@ibs.re.kr leea@janelia.hhmi.org.
authors.forename: Albert K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats