title: Parallel stochastic simulation of macroscopic calcium currents.
abstract: This work introduces MACACO, a macroscopic calcium currents simulator. It provides a parameter-sweep framework which computes macroscopic Ca(2+) currents from the individual aggregation of unitary currents, using a stochastic model for L-type Ca(2+) channels. MACACO uses a simplified 3-state Markov model to simulate the response of each Ca(2+) channel to different voltage inputs to the cell. In order to provide an accurate systematic view for the stochastic nature of the calcium channels, MACACO is composed of an experiment generator, a central simulation engine and a post-processing script component. Due to the computational complexity of the problem and the dimensions of the parameter space, the MACACO simulation engine employs a grid-enabled task farm. Having been designed as a computational biology tool, MACACO heavily borrows from the way cell physiologists conduct and report their experimental work.
authors: Area de Química Aplicada, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco 02200 México D.F. México. vgv@correo.azc.uam.mx
authors: Virginia
authors: V
authors: González-Vélez
authors: Horacio
authors: H
authors: González-Vélez
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000502:physiology; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D019295:Computational Biology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008954:Models, Biological; D013269:Stochastic Processes
chemical_list: D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type