A general mathematical model of transduction events in mechano-sensory stretch receptors

Physiology 2012 (Edinburgh) (2012) Proc Physiol Soc 27, PC43

Poster Communications: A general mathematical model of transduction events in mechano-sensory stretch receptors

T. Suslak1,3, D. Armstrong3,1, A. P. Jarman2

1. Doctoral Training Centre in Neuroinformatics and Neural Computation, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. 2. Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. 3. Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

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Crayfish (Astacus astacus) muscle stretch receptors show strong homology to mammalian muscle spindles and bipolar neurons in D. melanogaster. All are typical, non-ciliated, stretch-sensitive, afferent neurons. Such receptors are observed in many species and perform an important sensory role. However, they are poorly characterised. A previous study reported a bio-mechanical and behavioural model of A. astacus stretch receptors, which used the principles of elasticity and tension in a spring to describe the adaptation of a mechano-sensory ending. This model described the changing mechano-sensory currents in the receptor when subjected to a stretch protocol. This model was re-implemented and extended. Notably, additional descriptions of voltage-gated channels, that are suggested to contribute to stretch receptor mechano-transduction, were introduced. Our model now presents a more complete picture of the initiation of the mechano-receptor potential in response to a stretching stimulus. It describes the initial, stretch-mediated depolarisation; subsequent, voltage-activated channel activity and the transition from dynamic to static stretching. The inclusion of voltage-dependent sodium and potassium currents in addition to the initial mechano-sensitive sodium current allowed the model to account for most of the initial stretch response of the receptor. A further stretch-activated potassium channel is also suggested to be present. This preliminary model has potential for extension to describe fully the behaviour of non-ciliated mechano-sensors across species and predict the molecular mediators of mechano-transduction.



Where applicable, experiments conform with Society ethical requirements.

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