Measuring Temperature Time Course using Membrane Capacitance

Abstract

The study of temperature dependence of ion channels requires accurate measurement and control of the membrane temperature. We exploited the intrinsic temperature dependence of membrane capacitance to create a fast and reliable thermometer without the need of external probes. To assess the membrane capacitance in Xenopus laevis oocytes, we applied a sinusoidal voltage wave (500 Hz) with the cut-open voltage clamp and recorded the resulting currents. We used Hilbert transform to extract the instantaneous amplitude and phase from the voltage and current signal which allowed us to determine the capacitance and series resistance.