Includes both well-established and cutting-edge methods and protocols that focus on ionic channel function

Provides step-by-step detail essential for reproducible results

Contains key notes and implementation advice from the experts

Includes supplementary material: [...]

Approaches to Cloning of Pain-Related Ion Channel Genes.- Mammalian Expression Systems and Transfection Techniques.- Use of Escherichia coli for the Production and Purification of Membrane Proteins.- Transient Overexpression of Genes in Neurons Using Nucleofection.- Viral Gene Delivery: Optimized Protocol for Production of High Titre Lentiviral Vectors.- Two-Electrode Voltage Clamp.- Conventional Micropipette-Based Patch Clamp Techniques.- Recording of Ion Channel Activity in Planar Lipid Bilayers Experiments.- Recording Macroscopic Currents in Large Patches from Xenopus Oocytes.- Combined Single-Channel and Macroscopic Recording Techniques to Analyze Gating Mechanisms of the Large Conductance Ca2+ and Voltage Activated (BK) Potassium Channel.- Perforated Whole Cell Patch Clamp Recording.- Piezo-Electrically Driven Mechanical Stimulation of Sensory Neurons.- Automated Planar Patch-Clamp.- Recording Single-Channel Currents Using "Smart Patch-Clamp" Technique.- Using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy to Observe Ion channel Trafficking and Assembly.- Förster Resonance Energy Transfer-Based Imaging at the Cell Surface of Live Cells.- The Use of Dansyl-Calmodulin to Study Interactions with Channels and Other Proteins.- Imaging and Quantification of Recycled KATP Channels.- Generation of Antibodies that Are Externally-Acting Isoform-Specific Inhibitors of Ion Channels.- Site-Directed Mutagenesis to Study the Structure-Function Relationships of Ion Channels.- Cysteine-Based Cross-Linking Approach to Study Inter-Domain Interactions in Ion Channel Functions.- Analysis of Ca2+-Binding Sites in the MthK RCK Domain by X-RayCrystallography.- Isotope Labeling Strategies for Analysis of an Ion Channel Cytoplasmic Domain by NMR Spectroscopy.- Recording Dendritic Ion Channel Properties and Function from Cortical Neurons.- M Current Recording from Acute DRG Slices.- Studying Ion Channels in Human Erythrocytes by Direct and Indirect Means.- Recording Ion Channels in Isolated, Split-Opened Tubules.- Single Channel Analysis of TRPC Channels in the Podocytes of Freshly Isolated Glomeruli.- Ca2+ Imaging as a Tool to Assess TRP Channel Function in Murine Distal Nephrons.- Patch Clamping Drosophila Sensory Neurons.- Production and Validation of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus for Channelrhodopsin Expression in Neurons.- Optical Control of Ligand-Gated Ion Channels.