"... Here we show that a genetic search algorithm in combination with a gradient descent algorithm can be used to fit whole-cell voltage-clamp data to kinetic models with a high degree of accuracy. Previously, ion channel stimulation traces were analyzed one at a time, the results of these analyses being combined to produce a picture of channel kinetics. Here the entire set of traces from all stimulation protocols are analysed simultaneously. The algorithm was initially tested on simulated current traces produced by several Hodgkin-Huxley–like and Markov chain models of voltage-gated potassium and sodium channels. ... Finally, the algorithm was used for finding the kinetic parameters of several voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels models by matching its results to data recorded from layer 5 pyramidal neurons of the rat cortex in the nucleated outside-out patch configuration. The minimization scheme gives electrophysiologists a tool for reproducing and simulating voltage-gated ion channel kinetics at the cellular level."
Model Type: Channel/Receptor
Model Concept(s): Ion Channel Kinetics; Methods; Markov-type model
Simulation Environment: NEURON; NEURON (web link to model)
Implementer(s): Korngreen, Alon [alon.korngreen at gmail.com]
References:
Gurkiewicz M, Korngreen A. (2007). A numerical approach to ion channel modelling using whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings and a genetic algorithm. PLoS computational biology. 3 [PubMed]