Lysosome electrophysiology

The physiology and functions of ion channels have been major topics of interest in biomedical research. Patch clamping is one of the most powerful techniques used in the study of ion channels and has been widely applied to the investigation of electrical properties of ion channels on the plasma membrane in a variety of cells. A number of ion channels have been found in intracellular lysosomal membranes. However, their properties had been difficult to study due to the lack of a direct patch-clamping methodology on lysosomal membranes. Past attempts to record lysosomal channels that were forced to express on the plasma membrane or reconstituted into lipid bilayers have largely generated inconclusive and conflicting results. Recently, a novel lysosome patch-clamping technique has been developed, making it possible to examine lysosomal channels under near physiological conditions. This chapter provides a detailed description of this technique, which has been successfully applied in several studies concerning lysosomal ion channels. This technique will expand our understanding of the nature of lysosomes and lysosome-related diseases.