Measuring membrane channel dynamics in microfluidics: A future alternative to patch clamping?

Abstract

We present a novel analytical strategy for the measurement of membrane channel dynamics involved in cellular mechanotransduction signaling pathways. It consists of a conventional PDMS microfluidic device for the culture and mechanical actuation of C2C12 murine myoblasts. Herein, fluid-flow induced shear forces stimulate stretch-activated channels (SAC) of the transient receptor potential (TRP) class that mediate Ca2+ entry. Compared to conventional electrophysiological technology for SAC characterization, our strategy is capable of non-invasively monitoring SACs at high throughput and facilitates the study of the effect of extraneous factors on channel activity in complex media.