a solvable model for the diffusion and reaction of neurotransmitters in a synaptic junction解决模型的扩散和反应神经递质的突触连接.pdfVIP

Barreda and Zhou BMC Biophysics 2011, 4:5 /2046-1682/4/5 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access A solvable model for the diffusion and reaction of neurotransmitters in a synaptic junction * Jorge L Barreda, Huan-Xiang Zhou Abstract Background: The diffusion and reaction of the transmitter acetylcholine in neuromuscular junctions and the diffusion and binding of Ca2+ in the dyadic clefts of ventricular myocytes have been extensively modeled by Monte Carlo simulations and by finite-difference and finite-element solutions. However, an analytical solution that can serve as a benchmark for testing these numerical methods has been lacking. Result: Here we present an analytical solution to a model for the diffusion and reaction of acetylcholine in a neuromuscular junction and for the diffusion and binding of Ca2+ in a dyadic cleft. Our model is similar to those previously solved numerically and our results are also qualitatively similar. Conclusion: The analytical solution provides a unique benchmark for testing numerical methods and potentially provides a new avenue for modeling biochemical transport. 1. Background synaptic axon terminal. When an action potential In intercellular and intracellular spaces, passive transport reaches the axon terminal, the vesicles release acetylcho- of biomolecules is a common phenomenon. Because line molecules into the synaptic cleft. These molecules such processes are difficult to probe directly by experi- then diffuse toward the post-synaptic membrane and ments, numerical modeling is increasingly used to gain bind to acetylcholine receptors in the membrane. Acet- insight. Two processes that have been extensivel