随机的长程关联对耦合细胞体系中钙信号传导的作用

利用Euler数值积分的方法,研究了随机的长程关联对耦合细胞体系中钙信号传播的影响,发现当细 胞链中第一个单元受到外界刺激的作用时,由此而引起的钙点火活动会进一步激发其邻近的细胞,在随机连接的 作用下,钙信号就会在整个链中向下传递.结果表明,在该体系中加上少量的随机连接不仅能够极大地增强细胞 之间钙信号的传播能力,而且,适量的这种连接也可以使整个体系的钙离子振荡的有序性得到加强.这些现象表 明,细胞之间的随机扩散联系可能在帮助生物体系进行信息传递的过程中起着十分重要的作用.

Influence of Random Long-range Connections on Ca2+ Signal Propagation in Coupled Cell Systems

The effect of random long-range connections (shortcuts) on Ca 2+ signal propagation in the coupled cell chain is investigated by using the Euler method. It is found when the first cell is subjected to the external stimuli, the firing activity is triggered and then its neighboring cells excited, then the Ca 2+ signal may propagate along the chain helped by the shortcuts, indicating the shortcuts can enhance intercellular Ca 2+ signal propagations significantly. In addition, it is also found that there is an optimal level of randomness where the shortcuts can enhance the regularity of Ca 2+oscillations in the whole system. These results suggest that shortcuts among the cells may play a constructive role in helping the cell information propagating.