The Use of Xenopus Oocytes to Study the Biophysics and Pharmacological Properties of Receptors and Channels

A, Martínez Torres; Pereida‐Jaramillo, Elizabeth

doi:10.1201/9781003050230-10

Cited by 3 publications

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“… Although the membrane of Xenopus oocytes might present certain ion channels and receptors, the expression of endogenous proteins from their own mRNA is low (about 5% of their stored mRNA, [ 13 ]). Thus the oocyte plasma membrane usually lacks significant levels of neuronal voltage-dependent Na + and K + channels and many neuroreceptors and transporters [ 10 ]. The oocyte has powerful intracellular signaling cascades, mostly involving InsP 3 synthesis and Ca 2+ release from intracellular stores after phospholipase-C activation.…”

Section: Advantages and Drawbacks Of Using Xenopus ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“… As previously mentioned, oocytes randomly express certain ion channels and receptors, which might be confused with those heterologously expressed [ 13 ]. Thus, it becomes necessary to keep in mind the channels and receptors that can be endogenously expressed by oocytes (excellent reviews regarding this issue are provided in [ 2 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 24 , 25 ]), though some of them can be pharmacologically blocked. Nevertheless, other cell models commonly used for the heterologous expression of ion channels and transporters such as human embryonic kidney cells (HEK) also have endogenous ion channels [ 38 ].…”

Section: Advantages and Drawbacks Of Using Xenopus ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, since the last decade of the 20th century, the Xenopus oocyte constitutes one of the most widely used cell model in molecular biology [ 3 , 4 ]. Furthermore, Xenopus oocytes are particularly useful cells to carry out electrophysiological recordings to study both native ion channels and receptors [ 6 , 7 ] (reviewed in [ 2 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]) and foreign proteins transplanted to this convenient host cell after the injection of either the corresponding mRNA or lipid vesicles containing the purified protein (reviewed in [ 2 , 9 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]). Xenopus oocytes have also become the reference model for biophysical studies dealing with structure to function relationships, addressed to unravel the functional consequences of specific mutations of membrane receptors, channels, and transporters (reviewed by [ 13 , 14 ]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Xenopus Oocytes as a Powerful Cellular Model to Study Foreign Fully-Processed Membrane Proteins

et al. 2022

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The use of Xenopus oocytes in electrophysiological and biophysical research constitutes a long and successful story, providing major advances to the knowledge of the function and modulation of membrane proteins, mostly receptors, ion channels, and transporters. Earlier reports showed that these cells are capable of correctly expressing heterologous proteins after injecting the corresponding mRNA or cDNA. More recently, the Xenopus oocyte has become an outstanding host–cell model to carry out detailed studies on the function of fully-processed foreign membrane proteins after their microtransplantation to the oocyte. This review focused on the latter overall process of transplanting foreign membrane proteins to the oocyte after injecting plasma membranes or purified and reconstituted proteins. This experimental approach allows for the study of both the function of mature proteins, with their native stoichiometry and post-translational modifications, and their putative modulation by surrounding lipids, mostly when the protein is purified and reconstituted in lipid matrices of defined composition. Remarkably, this methodology enables functional microtransplantation to the oocyte of membrane receptors, ion channels, and transporters from different sources including human post-mortem tissue banks. Despite the large progress achieved over the last decades on the structure, function, and modulation of neuroreceptors and ion channels in healthy and pathological tissues, many unanswered questions remain and, most likely, Xenopus oocytes will continue to help provide valuable responses.

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