The Information Encoding through Emergent Characteristics of a Calcium Signaling Cascade in Non-excitable cells

Keywords:
harmones, calcium oscillations, hepatocytes

Abstract:
Calcium is used as a messenger by a variety of harmones for conveying information to molecular targets inside a cell. The calcium signaling cascade in non-excitable cells comprises complex dynamic interactions between external harmones, metabotropic receptors, effector molecules, ion channels, ion pumps, and calcium regulated proteins. The emergent characteristics of these interactions lead to an oscillatory behavior of calcium concentration in cytosol and different intercellular stores. The frequencies, amplitudes and waveforms of these oscillations provide an effective mechanism for encoding information that is believed to regulate various cellular processes. In this paper, we present a unified approach through incorporating a quantitative description of events comprising the calcium signaling cascade in non-excitable cells. A number of models have been proposed for analyzing the calcium dynamics in non-excitable cells. The quantitative model proposed in this work is the first one which incorporated the detailed events taking place at metabotropic receptor clustering, activation and relates them with down stream physiological processes involved in transmitting the calcium signal. Our model includes a quantitative account of series of events starting with harmone binding, followed by receptor clustering and activation, Effector molecule activation, hydrolysis of membrane bound phospholipids phosphatidylinositol 4,5,-biphosphate (PIP2) to inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3), diffusion of IP3 and activation of calcium channels at endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Here we present a novel eight-variable model of calcium signaling cascade in nonexcitable cells.

Back to Program

Nanotech 2006 Conference Program Abstract