Neuronal membrane potential is of fundamental importance for the mechanistic understanding of brain function. This review discusses progress in whole-cell patch-clamp recordings for low-noise measurement of neuronal membrane potential in awake behaving animals. Whole-cell recordings can be combined with two-photon microscopy to target fluorescently labeled neurons, revealing cell-type-specific membrane potential dynamics of retrogradely or genetically labeled neurons. Dual whole-cell recordings reveal behavioral modulation of membrane potential synchrony and properties of synaptic transmission in vivo. Optogenetic manipulations are also readily integrated with whole-cell recordings, providing detailed information about the effect of specific perturbations on the membrane potential of diverse types of neurons. Exciting developments for future behavioral experiments include dendritic whole-cell recordings and imaging, and use of the whole-cell recording pipette for single-cell delivery of drugs and DNA, as well as RNA expression profiling. Whole-cell recordings therefore offer unique opportunities for investigating the neuronal circuits and synaptic mechanisms driving membrane potential dynamics during behavior.

中文翻译：

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行为期间神经元膜电位的全细胞记录。

神经元膜电位对于脑功能的机械理解至关重要。这篇综述讨论了全细胞膜片钳记录技术在清醒行为动物中神经元膜电位的低噪声测量中的进展。全细胞记录可以与双光子显微镜相结合，以荧光标记的神经元为靶标，揭示逆行或遗传标记的神经元的细胞类型特异性膜电位动态。双重全细胞记录揭示了体内膜电位同步的行为调节和突触传递的特性。光遗传学操作也很容易与全细胞记录整合，提供有关特定扰动对多种类型神经元膜电位的影响的详细信息。未来行为实验的激动人心的进展包括树突状全细胞记录和成像，以及全细胞记录移液器用于药物和DNA的单细胞递送以及RNA表达谱分析。因此，全细胞记录为研究行为过程中驱动膜电位动态变化的神经元回路和突触机制提供了独特的机会。