Noise enhanced hormonal signal transduction through intracellular calcium oscillations. |
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Authors: | L L?er M Kloppstech C Sch?fl T J Sejnowski G Brabant K Prank |
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Affiliation: | Computational Endocrinology Group, Department of Clinical Endocrinology, Medical School Hannover, D-30623 Hannover, Germany. |
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Abstract: | In a wide range of non-linear dynamical systems, noise may enhance the detection of weak deterministic input signals. Here, we demonstrate this phenomenon for transmembrane signaling in a hormonal model system of intracellular Ca(2+) oscillations. Adding Gaussian noise to a subthreshold extracellular pulsatile stimulus increased the sensitivity in the dose-response relation of the Ca(2+) oscillations compared to the same noise signal added as a constant mean level. These findings may have important physiological consequences for the operation of hormonal and other physiological signal transduction systems close to the threshold level. |
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