Over the years, the crucial importance of calcium for
many biological functions has been well established.
There are many physiological processes in which
calcium plays a significant role in a direct or
indirect manner. It has been observed experimentally
that, in many
cell types, calcium fluxes across the plasma membrane
affect inositol trisphosphate IP3-induced
calcium oscillations. Since IP3-induced calcium
oscillations involve the cycling of calcium
to and from the endoplasmic reticulum, it is not well
understood how they can be so strongly
affected by membrane fluxes. In this work, we use a
mathematical model to answer this question. Our model
predictions are confirmed by experimental results.
Although the mathematical
model refers to a particular cell type, it also
allows us to address some aspects of calcium
signalling in general. Further we study the
propagation of intercellular calcium waves in a
pancreatic acinus. The effect of inter-cellular
coupling on the oscillatory dynamics is also
investigated. It is demonstrated that junctional
calcium diffusion can account for the co-ordination
and synchronisation of cytosolic calcium oscillations
in a coupled triplet of cells.
many biological functions has been well established.
There are many physiological processes in which
calcium plays a significant role in a direct or
indirect manner. It has been observed experimentally
that, in many
cell types, calcium fluxes across the plasma membrane
affect inositol trisphosphate IP3-induced
calcium oscillations. Since IP3-induced calcium
oscillations involve the cycling of calcium
to and from the endoplasmic reticulum, it is not well
understood how they can be so strongly
affected by membrane fluxes. In this work, we use a
mathematical model to answer this question. Our model
predictions are confirmed by experimental results.
Although the mathematical
model refers to a particular cell type, it also
allows us to address some aspects of calcium
signalling in general. Further we study the
propagation of intercellular calcium waves in a
pancreatic acinus. The effect of inter-cellular
coupling on the oscillatory dynamics is also
investigated. It is demonstrated that junctional
calcium diffusion can account for the co-ordination
and synchronisation of cytosolic calcium oscillations
in a coupled triplet of cells.