A combined protocol for isolation, culture, and patch-clamp recording of dorsal root ganglion neurons

Abstract

The dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons are crucial in transmitting sensory information from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system, including touch, pain, temperature, and proprioception. Understanding the functions and mechanisms of DRG neurons is essential for studying sensory processing and developing efficient treatments for sensory disorders. In addition, electrophysiological patch-clamp recording is a powerful and classical tool to study the functions and mechanisms of the nervous system. Building upon the strategies outlined in published works and our group’s abundant research experience in DRG neurons’ functions by patch-clamp, we have summarized and put forward a comprehensive step-by-step protocol combining juvenile rat DRG neuron isolation and culture, and patch-clamp recording. This protocol would be a powerful guidance document for neuroscience researchers to study sensory DRG neurons’ physiological and pathological functions using electrophysiological tools.

Graphical abstract

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32400650, 82201404, 32300819), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2020M680211, 2021T140014, GZC20232111), the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province of China (2024JC-YBMS-141), the Fund of Shaanxi Province of China (2023SYJ09) and the Shaanxi Postdoc Funding (2023BSHYDZZ39).