DENDRITIC CA SIGNALS IN STRIATAL MEDIUM SPINY NEURONS

University Of Connecticut Sch Of Med/Dnt, Farmington CT

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Abstract

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. We would like to model a dendritic spine as an excitatory synapse, and its associated parent dendrite. Virtual Cell's ability to model ion flux in a voltage sensitive manner gives a powerful and unique framework to do so. The specific goal would be to model a physiologically accurate CA1 pyramidal neuron spine compartment with the following: glutamate receptors (AMPARs, NMDARs (with voltage dependence)), the appropriate voltage sensitive calcium channels (CaV3, CaV1.2/1.3 and CaV2.2/2.3), and SK channels (with intracellular Ca dependence). It is also necessary to accurately model local Ca buffering and diffusion. We would also like to include a dendrite compartment that is electrically and diffusionally coupled to the spine.