Nuclear hourglass technique: an approach that detects electrically open nuclear pores in Xenopus laevis oocyte.

ABSTRACT: Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) mediate both active transport and passive diffusion across the nuclear envelope (NE). Determination of NE electrical conductance, however, has been confounded by the lack of an appropriate technical approach. The nuclear patch clamp technique is restricted to preparations with electrically closed NPCs, and microelectrode techniques fail to resolve the extremely low input resistance of large oocyte nuclei. To address the problem, we have developed an approach for measuring the NE electrical conductance of Xenopus laevis oocyte nuclei. The method uses a tapered glass tube, which narrows in its middle part to 2/3 of the diameter of the nucleus. The isolated nucleus is sucked into the narrow part of the capillary by gentle fluid movement, while the resulting chang

SUBMITTER: Danker T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC23982 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature