Topic: patch clamp

The deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) are the principal output structure of the cerebellum, carrying the information sent by the Purkinje cells from the cerebellar cortex to extra-cerebellar structures. Although circuits recruiting the DCN were shown to modulate multiple motor and nonmotor functions, the mechanisms facilitating excitability and neurotransmission at their projection neurons are poorly understood. Various Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) ion channels were shown to regulate neuronal activity in the cerebellar cortex, whereas the characterization of their functional roles in the DCN

Current neuromodulation strategies mainly rely on pharmaceutical interventions, with limited efficiency over time in chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorders. Alternate therapeutical approaches include electric neuromodulation like deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease. Nowadays, a variety of neural prostheses has been successfully developed to restore damaged/lost neural functions such as the ability to communicate in a fully paralyzed patient, or to walk in cases of partial spinal lesions. However, despite proven therapeutic benefits, most available neural implants mainly rel

Shank3 is a postsynaptic cytoskeletal protein that acts as an intracellular scaffold supporting various subsequent synaptic components. Its deficiency is associated with significant changes in the morphology and electrophysiological properties of dopaminergic neurons and the expression of various synaptic proteins affecting normal brain development primarily during the early stages. These disruptions in neuronal circuits lead to changes in social interactions, communication skills, and behavioral patterns, commonly observed in neurodevelopmental disorders like autism. To better understand thes

Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons are quintessential for peripheral pain transduction, a process mediated, among others, by certain members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily of ion channels. Among those, TRPA1, TRPV1, TRPM3 and TRPM8 have been linked to chronic pain and neuropathies. Tumor suppressor candidate 5 (Tusc5) plays a role in adipocyte function, but is also expressed in all major classes of DRG neurons. Tusc5 function in DRGs has not been investigated. We conducted Fura-2 calcium imaging and patch clamp experiments in cultured DRG neurons from knock-in Tusc5eGFP