Home » Applications » Ion Channel Electrophysiology
Oocyte screening goes automatic
The Roboocyte is a fully-automated all-in-one solution for high-throughput screenings based on the standard Xenopus oocytes expression system using the two-electrode-voltage-clamp-technique (TEVC).
We would like to show you here, how easy it is to setup an experiment with the Roboocyte. Handling does not require special skills or special equipment. Look and see the movies for a quick overview and study the tutorials describing more detailed the use of the system from preparing the oocytes to analizing the recorded data.
Oocyte preparation
In the oocyte preparation tutorial you will find all informations you need about all steps from removing the oocytes to selecting good ones, plating and washing them- of course including supply sources for needed additional materials.
The injection tutorial describes in detail preparing and starting an ijection of your oocytes
See also the movie about the preparation and the injection of the oocytes:
Roboocyte Movie 1
Preparation and injection of the oocytes
Recording and data analysis
The impalement of the oocytes for recording is fast, precise, and gentle, so minimizing cell damage. Repeated impalements of a single oocyte are possible.
See in the following movie the Roboocyte operating in the recording mode and the basic features of the data analysis:
Roboocyte Movie 2
Recording mode and data analysis
Applications
Na/K-ATPase Transporter
The Na/K-ATPase is the pharmacological receptor for cardiac glycosides, which are widely used in the treatment of heart failure because of their positive ionotropic effect, and is possibly also the physiological receptor for endogenous ouabain compounds.
GABAA Receptors
GABAA receptors are targets for many clinically important drugs like anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, anesthetics, sedatives, muscle relaxants, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines, for example valium.
IKs Current
Mutations in these ion channels lead to disorders that may increase the risk of death from cardiac arrhythmia (long QT syndrome or LQTS) and Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome, associated with congenital deafness. Therefore, the pharmaceutical industry tends to screen for unwanted side effects of drug candidates on the cardiac action potential already in the earlier drug profiling stage.
nACh Receptors
nAChRs play a key role in the signal transmission between cells at the nerve/muscle synapses. The endogenous neurotransmitter is acetylcholine, which can be mimicked by the tobacco alkaloid, nicotin. nAChRs are largely distributed both in the peripheral and central nervous systems; and growing evidence from animal and human studies demonstrated the involvement of nAChRs in high brain functions and in important neurodegenerative pathologies.
P2X Purinoceptors
P2X receptors are widely expressed in the central nervous systm and in the body periphery and play an important physiological and pathophysiological role (muscle contraction, modulation of the cardiovascular and respiratory system, inflammation and cell death, fast synaptic transmission, neuronal excitability, and many more).
Potassium Chanel Kv4.3
Kv4.3 channels belong to the rapidly inactivating potassium channel group. These ion channels are important molecular components of transient K+ currents in brain and heart , and they are involved in setting the frequency of neuronal firing and heart pacing. Altered Kv4.3 channel expression has been demonstrated under pathological conditions like heart failure indicating their dritical role in heart function.