Fluorescent stereomicroscope, for larval dissection | Leica MZ10-F, or equivalent | Equipped with a plan apo 1× objective, fluorescent lamp, and appropriate filters for fluorescence |
Upright microscope | Zeiss Axioscope, or equivalent | Equipped with 10×, 20×, and 40× objectives; microscope should be also equipped with DIC/IR optics |
Micromanipulator/s | Sutter Instruments MP-285, or equivalent | |
Amplifier with A/D converter and recording software connected to computer | Molecular Devices Multiclamp 200 series amplifier, or equivalent | Computer equipped with P-Clamp acquisition and analysis software or equivalent |
Stimulator | Digitimer DS3, or equivalent | Constant current isolated stimulator |
Borosilicate capillary glass for recordings | World Precision Instruments | Thinwall glass OD/ID 1.5/1.2 mm (catalog #TW150F-3) |
Theta glass | World Precision Instruments | For stimulating electrodes OD/ID 1.5/1.02 mm (catalog #TST150-6) |
Transfer pipettes | Fisher Scientific | Pipettes to transfer larval zebrafish (catalog #13-678-20A) |
Electrode pipette puller | Sutter Instruments P-97, or equivalent | |
Fluorodish cell culture dish 35 mm, 10 mm well | World Precision Instruments | Cell culture dish with glass bottom covered with Sylgard (catalog #FD3510-100) |
Mini-Petri dishes | Sigma | 60-mm diameter (catalog #5481-500EA) |
MS-222 | Sigma | MS-222 (0.03%) solution buffered with sodium bicarbonate, pH 7.4 (adjusted with NaOH) |
Forceps | Fine Science Tools | Dumont #4 Forceps (catalog #11242-40) |
Tungsten wire to make custom-made pins | AM Systems | Tungsten wire, size 0.002 inches bare diameter (catalog #795500) |
Tungsten wire to make the dissection pin | AM Systems | Tungsten wire, size 0.005 inches bare diameter (catalog #797600) |
MA | Sigma | Catalog #6385-02-0 |
CNQX | Tocris | Catalog #0190 |
DAP5 | Tocris | Catalog #0106 |
Pneumatic Transducer Tester | Fluke Biomedical | DPM1B |
d-tubocurarine | Sigma | 10–15 μm d-tubocurarine in external solution (in mm): 134 NaCl, 2.9 KCl, 2.1 CaCl2, 1.2 MgCl2, 10 HEPES, and 10 glucose, pH adjusted to 7.8 with NaOH |