Protocol for kinetic mode potassium channel assays on common plate readers and microscopes

Fluorescence-based potassium channel assays are typically run on expensive, hard to obtain, fluorescence imaging kinetic plate readers that are uncommon in most laboratories. Here we describe the use of the Brilliant Thallium Snapshot assay to conduct an endpoint potassium channel assay, so that it can be used across multiple plate reader platforms that are more common in many labs. These methods will allow users to identify modulators of potassium channels. For this work, we have taken a kinetic mode Molecular Devices FLIPR based protocol and adapted it to be utilized on endpoint plate readers, such as the BMG Labtech PHERAstar, to identify activators of GIRK channels in CHO cells. We demonstrate that both plate readers are functionally competent at generating excellent Z’ values which makes them ideally suited to finding corollary hits from the Sigma LOPAC 1,280 screening collection. Importantly, this assay has also been validated using a high content reader, demonstrating the possibility of spatially resolving signals from individual cells within a mixed cell population. The compendium of these results shows the flexibility, accessibility and functionality of endpoint-compatible potassium channel assay readouts on more common plate readers.