Discrete stochastic modeling of calcium channel dynamics
Abstract
We propose a simple discrete stochastic model for calcium dynamics in living cells. Specifically, the calcium concentration distribution is assumed to give rise to a set of probabilities for the opening/closing of channels which release calcium thereby changing those probabilities. We study this model in one dimension, analytically in the mean-field limit of large number of channels per site N, and numerically for small N. As the number of channels per site is increased, the transition from a non-propagating region of activity to a propagating one changes in nature from one described by directed percolation to that of deterministic depinning in a spatially discrete system. Also, for a small number of channels a propagating calcium wave can leave behind a novel fluctuation-driven state, in a parameter range where the limiting deterministic model exhibits only single pulse propagation.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.patt-sol/9910001,
title = {Discrete stochastic modeling of calcium channel dynamics},
author = {Markus Baer and Martin Falcke and Herbert Levine and Lev S. Tsimring},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:patt-sol/9910001},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PRL