To achieve the most accurate assessment of functional Ca2+ channel or modulator properties and their regulation, a patch clamp technique to record membrane currents is required. This technique has wide applications ranging from recording the activity of native channels in their natural environment to that of recombinant channels expressed in heterologous cells. This chapter introduces the methods that have been used for the detection of calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) currents, one of the store-operated calcium entry pathways, in human primary T cells. This standard protocol is for laboratories already equipped with a full patch clamp setup or for investigators collaborating with laboratories experienced in patch clamp.
Keywords: CRAC-like current; Calcium release-activated calcium channel; Patch clamp; Store-operated Ca2+ entry; T cell.