Methods for studying voltage-gated sodium channels in heterologous expression systems.

The discovery that oocytes of the frog Xenopus laevis can be induced to express working membrane ion channels by introducing channel mRNA into their cytoplasm (heterologous expression) has greatly impacted the field of ion channel physiology. With the addition of site-directed mutagenesis techniques, the functional consequences of virtually any mutation can now be specifically and easily assessed. Here, we describe an effective procedure for investigating cardiac sodium channel gating (hNaV1.

Temperature-sensitive defects in paramyotonia congenita mutants R1448C and T1313M.

The biophysical origins of paramyotonia congenita and its exacerbation in cold temperatures were examined. Human skeletal muscle voltage-gated sodium channels were expressed in Xenopus oocytes and macroscopic currents were recorded from cell-attached patches. Wild-type (hNaV1.