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Modeling traveling calcium waves in cellular structures

Shoemaker, Patrick A. and Bekkouche, Bo M.B. LU (2025) In Journal of Computational Neuroscience 53(2). p.219-245
Abstract

We report a parametric simulation study of traveling calcium waves in two classes of cellular structures: dendrite-like processes and an idealized cell body. It is motivated by the hypothesis that calcium waves may participate in spatiotemporal sensory processing; accordingly, its objective is to elucidate the dependence of traveling wave characteristics (e.g., propagation speed and amplitude) on various anatomical and physiological parameters. The models include representations of inositol trisphosphate and ryanodine receptors (which mediate transient calcium entry into the cytoplasm from the endoplasmic reticulum), as well as other entities involved in calcium transport or reactions. These support traveling cytoplasmic calcium waves,... (More)

We report a parametric simulation study of traveling calcium waves in two classes of cellular structures: dendrite-like processes and an idealized cell body. It is motivated by the hypothesis that calcium waves may participate in spatiotemporal sensory processing; accordingly, its objective is to elucidate the dependence of traveling wave characteristics (e.g., propagation speed and amplitude) on various anatomical and physiological parameters. The models include representations of inositol trisphosphate and ryanodine receptors (which mediate transient calcium entry into the cytoplasm from the endoplasmic reticulum), as well as other entities involved in calcium transport or reactions. These support traveling cytoplasmic calcium waves, which are fully regenerative for significant ranges of model parameters. We also observe Hopf bifurcations between stable and unstable regimes, the latter being characterized by periodic calcium spikes. Traveling waves are possible in unstable processes during phases with sufficiently high calcium levels in the endoplasmic reticulum. Damped and abortive waves are observed for some parameter values. When both receptor types are present and functional, we find wave speeds on the order of 100 to several hundred micrometers per second and cytosolic calcium transients with amplitudes of tens of micromolar; when ryanodine receptors are absent, these values are on the order of tens of micrometers per second and 1–6 micromolar. Even with significantly downgraded channel conductance, ryanodine receptors can significantly impact wave speeds and amplitudes. Receptor areal densities and the diffusion coefficient for cytoplasmic calcium are the parameters to which wave characteristics are most sensitive.

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author
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organization
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Astrocytes, Calcium waves, Cellular processes, Intracellular calcium, Neurons, Traveling waves
in
Journal of Computational Neuroscience
volume
53
issue
2
pages
27 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:105001685579
  • pmid:40172607
ISSN
0929-5313
DOI
10.1007/s10827-025-00898-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e8940f8d-c7e0-402e-8178-15a403c4a9bb
date added to LUP
2025-09-10 10:23:51
date last changed
2025-09-24 16:44:08
@article{e8940f8d-c7e0-402e-8178-15a403c4a9bb,
  abstract     = {{<p>We report a parametric simulation study of traveling calcium waves in two classes of cellular structures: dendrite-like processes and an idealized cell body. It is motivated by the hypothesis that calcium waves may participate in spatiotemporal sensory processing; accordingly, its objective is to elucidate the dependence of traveling wave characteristics (e.g., propagation speed and amplitude) on various anatomical and physiological parameters. The models include representations of inositol trisphosphate and ryanodine receptors (which mediate transient calcium entry into the cytoplasm from the endoplasmic reticulum), as well as other entities involved in calcium transport or reactions. These support traveling cytoplasmic calcium waves, which are fully regenerative for significant ranges of model parameters. We also observe Hopf bifurcations between stable and unstable regimes, the latter being characterized by periodic calcium spikes. Traveling waves are possible in unstable processes during phases with sufficiently high calcium levels in the endoplasmic reticulum. Damped and abortive waves are observed for some parameter values. When both receptor types are present and functional, we find wave speeds on the order of 100 to several hundred micrometers per second and cytosolic calcium transients with amplitudes of tens of micromolar; when ryanodine receptors are absent, these values are on the order of tens of micrometers per second and 1–6 micromolar. Even with significantly downgraded channel conductance, ryanodine receptors can significantly impact wave speeds and amplitudes. Receptor areal densities and the diffusion coefficient for cytoplasmic calcium are the parameters to which wave characteristics are most sensitive.</p>}},
  author       = {{Shoemaker, Patrick A. and Bekkouche, Bo M.B.}},
  issn         = {{0929-5313}},
  keywords     = {{Astrocytes; Calcium waves; Cellular processes; Intracellular calcium; Neurons; Traveling waves}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{219--245}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Computational Neuroscience}},
  title        = {{Modeling traveling calcium waves in cellular structures}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10827-025-00898-2}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10827-025-00898-2}},
  volume       = {{53}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}