Combined computational and experimental approaches to understanding the Ca(2+) regulatory network in neurons

• Published in: Advances in experimental medicine and biology Vol. 740; p. 569
• Main Authors: Saftenku, Elena E, Friel, David D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 2012
• Subjects: Animals; Calcium - metabolism; Calcium Signaling; Fluorescence; Humans; Models, Biological; Neuronal Plasticity; Neurons - metabolism; Stochastic Processes
• ISSN: 0065-2598
• DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-2888-2_26

Ca(2+) is a ubiquitous signaling ion that regulates a variety of neuronal functions by binding to and altering the state of effector proteins. Spatial relationships and temporal dynamics of Ca(2+) elevations determine many cellular responses of neurons to chemical and electrical stimulation. There is a wealth of information regarding the properties and distribution of Ca(2+) channels, pumps, exchangers, and buffers that participate in Ca(2+) regulation. At the same time, new imaging techniques permit characterization of evoked Ca(2+) signals with increasing spatial and temporal resolution. However, understanding the mechanistic link between functional properties of Ca(2+) handling proteins and the stimulus-evoked Ca(2+) signals they orchestrate requires consideration of the way Ca(2+) handling mechanisms operate together as a system in native cells. A wide array of biophysical modeling approaches is available for studying this problem and can be used in a variety of ways. Models can be useful to explain the behavior of complex systems, to evaluate the role of individual Ca(2+) handling mechanisms, to extract valuable parameters, and to generate predictions that can be validated experimentally. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding the underlying mechanisms of Ca(2+) signaling in neurons via mathematical modeling. We emphasize the value of developing realistic models based on experimentally validated descriptions of Ca(2+) transport and buffering that can be tested and refined through new experiments to develop increasingly accurate biophysical descriptions of Ca(2+) signaling in neurons.