Tight-Seal Whole-Cell Recording

Abstract

The tight-seal whole-cell recording method, often abbreviated as “whole-cell recording” (WCR), allows one to record from cells and modify their internal environment by using a patch-clamp pipette. This has become the most commonly used configuration of the patch-clamp technique. In the present chapter, we first describe the basic experimental procedures used to obtain whole-cell recordings. We then discuss the pipette–cell interactions during whole-cell recording, first from an electrical point of view and then from a chemical point of view. We finally compare the tight-seal whole-cell recording with other methods for studying electrical properties of cells.