Enhanced Methodologies for Investigating the Electrophysiological Characteristics of Endogenous Pannexin 1 Intercellular Cell–Cell Channels

Gap junctions, pivotal intercellular conduits, serve as communication channels between adjacent cells, playing a critical role in modulating membrane potential distribution across cellular networks. The family of Pannexin (Panx) proteins, in particular Pannexin1 (Panx1), are widely expressed in vertebrate cells and exhibit sequence homology with innexins, the invertebrate gap junction channel constituents. Despite being ubiquitously expressed, detailed functional and pharmacological properties of Panx1 intercellular cell–cell channels require further investigation. In this chapter, we introduce optimized cell culture methodologies and electrophysiology protocols to expedite the exploration of endogenous Panx1 cell–cell channels in TC620 cells, a human oligodendroglioma cell line that naturally expresses Panx1. We anticipate these refined protocols will significantly contribute to future characterizations of Panx1-based intercellular cell–cell channels across diverse cell types and offer valuable insights into both normal cellular physiology and pathophysiology.