title: Multiple thresholds in a model system of noisy ion channels.
abstract: Voltage-activated ion channels vary randomly between open and closed states, influenced by the membrane potential and other factors. Signal transduction is enhanced by noise in a simple ion channel model. The enhancement occurs in a finite range of signals; the range can be extended using populations of channels. The range increases more rapidly in multiple-threshold channel populations than in single-threshold populations. The diversity of ion channels may thus be present as a strategy to reduce the metabolic costs of handling a broad class of electrochemical signals.
authors.affiliation: Universidade da Madeira, Centro de Ciências Matemáticas, Campus Universitário da Penteada, 9000-390 Funchal, Portugal. michael.barber@arcs.ac.at
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: Manfred L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ristig
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004056:Differential Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology*; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015233:Models, Statistical; D013269:Stochastic Processes
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels