This minimal model investigates stochastic amplification of calcium-activated potassium (KCa) currents. Amplification results from calcium being released in short high amplitude pulses associated with the stochastic gating of calcium channels in microdomains. This model predicts that such pulsed release of calcium significantly increases subthreshold SK2 currents above what would be produced by standard deterministic models. However, there is little effect on a simple sAHP current kinetic scheme. This suggests that calcium stochasticity and microdomains should be considered when modeling certain KCa currents near subthreshold conditions.
Model Type: Neuron or other electrically excitable cell
Region(s) or Organism(s): Hippocampus
Cell Type(s): Hippocampus CA1 pyramidal GLU cell
Genes: KCa2.2 KCNN2
Model Concept(s): Ion Channel Kinetics; Active Dendrites; Detailed Neuronal Models; Calcium dynamics; Noise Sensitivity; Markov-type model
Simulation Environment: MATLAB
Implementer(s): Stanley, David A
References:
Stanley DA, Bardakjian BL, Spano ML, Ditto WL. (2011). Stochastic amplification of calcium-activated potassium currents in Ca2+ microdomains. Journal of computational neuroscience. 31 [PubMed]