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1.
Factors Determining the Recruitment of Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor Channels During Calcium Puffs
Puffs are localized, transient elevations in cytosolic Ca2+ that serve both as the building blocks of global cellular Ca2+ signals and as local signals in their own right. They arise from clustered inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor/channels (IP3Rs), whose openings are coordinated by Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR). We utilized total internal reflection fluorescence imaging of Ca2+ signals in neuroblastoma cells with single-channel resolution to elucidate the mechanisms determining the triggering, amplitudes, kinetics, and spatial spread of puffs. We find that any given channel in a cluster has a mean probability of ∼66% of opening following opening of an initial “trigger” channel, and the probability of puff triggering thus increases steeply with increasing number of channels in a cluster (cluster size). Mean puff amplitudes scale with cluster size, but individual amplitudes vary widely, even at sites of similar cluster size, displaying similar proportions of events involving any given number of the channels in the cluster. Stochastic variation in numbers of Ca2+-inhibited IP3Rs likely contributes to the variability of amplitudes of repeated puffs at a site but the amplitudes of successive puffs were uncorrelated, even though we observed statistical correlations between interpuff intervals and puff amplitudes. Initial puffs evoked following photorelease of IP3—which would not be subject to earlier Ca2+-inhibition—also showed wide variability, indicating that mechanisms such as stochastic variation in IP3 binding and channel recruitment by CICR further determine puff amplitudes. The mean termination time of puffs lengthened with increasing puff amplitude size, consistent with independent closings of channels after a given mean open time, but we found no correlation of termination time with cluster size independent of puff amplitude. The spatial extent of puffs increased with their amplitude, and puffs of similar size were of similar width, independent of cluster size. 相似文献
2.
Factors Determining the Recruitment of Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor Channels During Calcium Puffs
Puffs are localized, transient elevations in cytosolic Ca2+ that serve both as the building blocks of global cellular Ca2+ signals and as local signals in their own right. They arise from clustered inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor/channels (IP3Rs), whose openings are coordinated by Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR). We utilized total internal reflection fluorescence imaging of Ca2+ signals in neuroblastoma cells with single-channel resolution to elucidate the mechanisms determining the triggering, amplitudes, kinetics, and spatial spread of puffs. We find that any given channel in a cluster has a mean probability of ∼66% of opening following opening of an initial “trigger” channel, and the probability of puff triggering thus increases steeply with increasing number of channels in a cluster (cluster size). Mean puff amplitudes scale with cluster size, but individual amplitudes vary widely, even at sites of similar cluster size, displaying similar proportions of events involving any given number of the channels in the cluster. Stochastic variation in numbers of Ca2+-inhibited IP3Rs likely contributes to the variability of amplitudes of repeated puffs at a site but the amplitudes of successive puffs were uncorrelated, even though we observed statistical correlations between interpuff intervals and puff amplitudes. Initial puffs evoked following photorelease of IP3—which would not be subject to earlier Ca2+-inhibition—also showed wide variability, indicating that mechanisms such as stochastic variation in IP3 binding and channel recruitment by CICR further determine puff amplitudes. The mean termination time of puffs lengthened with increasing puff amplitude size, consistent with independent closings of channels after a given mean open time, but we found no correlation of termination time with cluster size independent of puff amplitude. The spatial extent of puffs increased with their amplitude, and puffs of similar size were of similar width, independent of cluster size. 相似文献
3.
The liberation of calcium ions sequestered in the endoplasmic reticulum through inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors/channels (IP3Rs) results in a spatiotemporal hierarchy of calcium signaling events that range from single-channel openings to local Ca2+ puffs believed to arise from several to tens of clustered IP3Rs to global calcium waves. Using high-resolution confocal linescan imaging and a sensitive Ca2+ indicator dye (fluo-4-dextran), we show that puffs are often preceded by small, transient Ca2+ elevations that we christen “trigger events”. The magnitude of triggers is consistent with their arising from the opening of a single IP3 receptor/channel, and we propose that they initiate puffs by recruiting neighboring IP3Rs within the cluster by a regenerative process of Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release. Puff amplitudes (fluorescence ratio change) are on average ~6 times greater than that of the triggers, suggesting that at least six IP3Rs may simultaneously be open during a puff. Trigger events have average durations of ~12 ms, as compared to 19 ms for the mean rise time of puffs, and their spatial extent is ~3 times smaller than puffs (respective widths at half peak amplitude 0.6 and 1.6 μm). All these parameters were relatively independent of IP3 concentration, although the proportion of puffs showing resolved triggers was greatest (~80%) at low [IP3]. Because Ca2+ puffs constitute the building blocks from which cellular IP3-mediated Ca2+ signals are constructed, the events that initiate them are likely to be of fundamental importance for cell signaling. Moreover, the trigger events provide a useful yardstick by which to derive information regarding the number and spatial arrangement of IP3Rs within clusters. 相似文献
4.
Calcium puffs are localized Ca2+ signals mediated by Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through clusters of inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) channels. The recruitment of IP3R channels during puffs depends on Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release, a regenerative process that must be terminated to maintain control of cell signaling and prevent Ca2+ cytotoxicity. Here, we studied puff termination using total internal reflection microscopy to resolve the gating of individual IP3R channels during puffs in intact SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. We find that the kinetics of IP3R channel closing differ from that expected for independent, stochastic gating, in that multiple channels tend to remain open together longer than predicted from their individual open lifetimes and then close in near-synchrony. This behavior cannot readily be explained by previously proposed termination mechanisms, including Ca2+-inhibition of IP3Rs and local depletion of Ca2+ in the ER lumen. Instead, we postulate that the gating of closely adjacent IP3Rs is coupled, possibly via allosteric interactions, suggesting an important mechanism to ensure robust puff termination in addition to Ca2+-inactivation. 相似文献
5.
Inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) release intracellular Ca2+ as localized Ca2+ signals (Ca2+ puffs) that represent the activity of small numbers of clustered IP3Rs spaced throughout the endoplasmic reticulum. Although much emphasis has been placed on estimating the number of active Ca2+ release channels supporting Ca2+ puffs, less attention has been placed on understanding the role of cluster microarchitecture. This is important as recent data underscores the dynamic nature of IP3R transitions between heterogeneous cellular architectures and the differential behavior of IP3Rs socialized into clusters. Here, we applied a high-resolution model incorporating stochastically gating IP3Rs within a three-dimensional cytoplasmic space to demonstrate: 1), Ca2+ puffs are supported by a broad range of clustered IP3R microarchitectures; 2), cluster ultrastructure shapes Ca2+ puff characteristics; and 3), loosely corralled IP3R clusters (>200 nm interchannel separation) fail to coordinate Ca2+ puffs, owing to inefficient triggering and impaired coupling due to reduced Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release microwave velocity (<10 nm/s) throughout the channel array. Dynamic microarchitectural considerations may therefore influence Ca2+ puff occurrence/properties in intact cells, contrasting with a more minimal role for channel number over the same simulated conditions in shaping local Ca2+ dynamics. 相似文献
6.
The subcellular localization of membrane Ca2+ channels is crucial for their functioning, but is difficult to study because channels may be distributed more closely than the resolution of conventional microscopy is able to detect. We describe a technique, stochastic channel Ca2+ nanoscale resolution (SCCaNR), employing Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent dyes to localize stochastic openings and closings of single Ca2+-permeable channels within <50 nm, and apply it to examine the clustered arrangement of inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) channels underlying local Ca2+ puffs. Fluorescence signals (blips) arising from single functional IP3Rs are almost immotile (diffusion coefficient <0.003 μm2 s−1), as are puff sites over prolonged periods, suggesting that the architecture of this signaling system is stable and not subject to rapid, dynamic rearrangement. However, rapid stepwise changes in centroid position of fluorescence are evident within the durations of individual puffs. These apparent movements likely result from asynchronous gating of IP3Rs distributed within clusters that have an overall diameter of ∼400 nm, indicating that the nanoscale architecture of IP3R clusters is important in shaping local Ca2+ signals. We anticipate that SCCaNR will complement superresolution techniques such as PALM and STORM for studies of Ca2+ channels as it obviates the need for photoswitchable labels and provides functional as well as spatial information. 相似文献
7.
Puffs are local Ca2+ signals that arise by Ca2+ liberation from the endoplasmic reticulum through the concerted opening of tightly clustered inositol trisphosphate receptors/channels (IP3Rs). The locations of puff sites observed by Ca2+ imaging remain static over several minutes, whereas fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments employing overexpression of fluorescently tagged IP3Rs have shown that the majority of IP3Rs are freely motile. To address this discrepancy, we applied single-molecule imaging to locate and track type 1 IP3Rs tagged with a photoswitchable fluorescent protein and expressed in COS-7 cells. We found that ∼70% of the IP3R1 molecules were freely motile, undergoing random walk motility with an apparent diffusion coefficient of ∼0.095 μm s−1, whereas the remaining molecules were essentially immotile. A fraction of the immotile IP3Rs were organized in clusters, with dimensions (a few hundred nanometers across) comparable to those previously estimated for the IP3R clusters underlying functional puff sites. No short-term (seconds) changes in overall motility or in clustering of immotile IP3Rs were apparent following activation of IP3/Ca2+ signaling. We conclude that stable clusters of small numbers of immotile IP3Rs may underlie local Ca2+ release sites, whereas the more numerous motile IP3Rs appear to be functionally silent. 相似文献
8.
Martin Rückl Ian Parker Jonathan S. Marchant Chamakuri Nagaiah Friedrich W. Johenning Sten Rüdiger 《PLoS computational biology》2015,11(1)
The oscillating concentration of intracellular calcium is one of the most important examples for collective dynamics in cell biology. Localized releases of calcium through clusters of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor channels constitute elementary signals called calcium puffs. Coupling by diffusing calcium leads to global releases and waves, but the exact mechanism of inter-cluster coupling and triggering of waves is unknown. To elucidate the relation of puffs and waves, we here model a cluster of IP3R channels using a gating scheme with variable non-equilibrium IP3 binding. Hybrid stochastic and deterministic simulations show that puffs are not stereotyped events of constant duration but are sensitive to stimulation strength and residual calcium. For increasing IP3 concentration, the release events become modulated at a timescale of minutes, with repetitive wave-like releases interspersed with several puffs. This modulation is consistent with experimental observations we present, including refractoriness and increase of puff frequency during the inter-wave interval. Our results suggest that waves are established by a random but time-modulated appearance of sustained release events, which have a high potential to trigger and synchronize activity throughout the cell. 相似文献
9.
Calcium puffs are local transient Ca2+ releases from internal Ca2+ stores such as the endoplasmic reticulum or the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Such release occurs through a cluster of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs). Based on the IP3R model (which is determined by fitting to stationary single-channel data) and nonstationary single-channel data, we construct a new IP3R model that includes time-dependent rates of mode switches. A point-source model of Ca2+ puffs is then constructed based on the new IP3R model and is solved by a hybrid Gillespie method with adaptive timing. Model results show that a relatively slow recovery of an IP3R from Ca2+ inhibition is necessary to reproduce most of the experimental outcomes, especially the nonexponential interpuff interval distributions. The number of receptors in a cluster could be severely underestimated when the recovery is sufficiently slow. Furthermore, we find that, as the number of IP3Rs increases, the average duration of puffs initially increases but then becomes saturated, whereas the average decay time keeps increasing linearly. This gives rise to the observed asymmetric puff shape. 相似文献
10.
《Cell calcium》2017
The inositol trisphosphate (IP3) signaling pathway evokes local Ca2+ signals (Ca2+ puffs) that arise from the concerted openings of clustered IP3 receptor/channels in the ER membrane. Physiological activation is triggered by binding of agonists to G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) on the cell surface, leading to cleavage of phosphatidyl inositol bisphosphate and release of IP3 into the cytosol. Photorelease of IP3 from a caged precursor provides a convenient and widely employed means to study the final stage of IP3-mediated Ca2+ liberation, bypassing upstream signaling events to enable more precise control of the timing and relative concentration of cytosolic IP3. Here, we address whether Ca2+ puffs evoked by photoreleased IP3 fully replicate those arising from physiological agonist stimulation. We imaged puffs in individual SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells that were sequentially stimulated by picospritzing extracellular agonist (carbachol, CCH or bradykinin, BK) followed by photorelease of a poorly-metabolized IP3 analog, i-IP3. The centroid localizations of fluorescence signals during puffs evoked in the same cells by agonists and photorelease substantially overlapped (within ∼1 μm), suggesting that IP3 from both sources accesses the same, or closely co-localized clusters of IP3Rs. Moreover, the time course and spatial spread of puffs evoked by agonists and photorelease matched closely. Because photolysis generates IP3 uniformly throughout the cytoplasm, our results imply that IP3 generated in SH-SY5Y cells by activation of receptors to CCH and BK also exerts broadly distributed actions, rather than specifically activating a subpopulation of IP3Rs that are scaffolded in close proximity to cell surface receptors to form a signaling nanodomain. 相似文献
11.
In this work, we model the local calcium release from clusters with a few inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) channels, focusing on the stochastic process in which an open channel either triggers other channels to open (as a puff) or fails to cause any channel to open (as a blip). We show that there are linear relations for the interevent interval (including blips and puffs) and the first event latency against the inverse cluster size. However, nonlinearity is found for the interpuff interval and the first puff latency against the inverse cluster size. Furthermore, the simulations indicate that the blip fraction among all release events and the blip frequency are increasing with larger basal [Ca2+], with blips in turn giving a growing contribution to basal [Ca2+]. This result suggests that blips are not just lapses to trigger puffs, but they may also possess a biological function to contribute to the initiation of calcium waves by a preceding increase of basal [Ca2+] in cells that have small IP3R clusters. 相似文献
12.
In this work, we model the local calcium release from clusters with a few inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) channels, focusing on the stochastic process in which an open channel either triggers other channels to open (as a puff) or fails to cause any channel to open (as a blip). We show that there are linear relations for the interevent interval (including blips and puffs) and the first event latency against the inverse cluster size. However, nonlinearity is found for the interpuff interval and the first puff latency against the inverse cluster size. Furthermore, the simulations indicate that the blip fraction among all release events and the blip frequency are increasing with larger basal [Ca2+], with blips in turn giving a growing contribution to basal [Ca2+]. This result suggests that blips are not just lapses to trigger puffs, but they may also possess a biological function to contribute to the initiation of calcium waves by a preceding increase of basal [Ca2+] in cells that have small IP3R clusters. 相似文献
13.
《Channels (Austin, Tex.)》2013,7(4):226-232
Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs) are intracellular Ca2+ channels. Their regulation by both IP3 and Ca2+ allows interactions between IP3Rs to generate a hierarchy of intracellular Ca2+ release events. These can progress from openings of single IP3R, through near-synchronous opening of a few IP3Rs within a cluster to much larger signals that give rise to regenerative Ca2+ waves that can invade the entire cell. We have used patch-clamp recording from excised nuclear membranes of DT40 cells expressing only IP3R3 and shown that low concentrations of IP3 rapidly and reversibly cause IP3Rs to assemble into small clusters. In addition to bringing IP3Rs close enough to allow Ca2+ released by one IP3R to regulate the activity of its neighbors, clustering also retunes the regulation of IP3Rs by IP3 and Ca2+. At resting cytosolic [Ca2+], lone IP3R are more sensitive to IP3 and the mean channel open time (~10ms) is twice as long as for clustered IP3R. When the cytosolic free [Ca2+] is increased to 1µM, to mimic the conditions that might prevail when an IP3R within a cluster opens, clustered IP3R are no longer inhibited and their gating becomes coupled. IP3, by dynamically regulating IP3R clustering, both positions IP3R for optimal interactions between them and it serves to exaggerate the effects of Ca2+ within a cluster. During the course of these studies, we have observed that nuclear IP3R stably express one of two single channel K + conductances (γK ~120 or 200pS). Here we demonstrate that for both states of the IP3R, the effects of IP3 on clustering are indistinguishable. These observations reinforce our conclusion that IP3 dynamically regulates assembly of IP3Rs into clusters that underlie the hierarchical recruitment of elementary Ca2+ release events. 相似文献
14.
Kevin Thurley Ian F. Smith Stephen C. Tovey Colin W. Taylor Ian Parker Martin Falcke 《Biophysical journal》2011,101(11):2638
The behavior of biological systems is determined by the properties of their component molecules, but the interactions are usually too complex to understand fully how molecular behavior generates cellular behavior. Ca2+ signaling by inositol trisphosphate receptors (IP3R) offers an opportunity to understand this relationship because the cellular behavior is defined largely by Ca2+-mediated interactions between IP3R. Ca2+ released by a cluster of IP3R (giving a local Ca2+ puff) diffuses and ignites the behavior of neighboring clusters (to give repetitive global Ca2+ spikes). We use total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy of two mammalian cell lines to define the temporal relationships between Ca2+ puffs (interpuff intervals, IPI) and Ca2+ spikes (interspike intervals) evoked by flash photolysis of caged IP3. We find that IPI are much shorter than interspike intervals, that puff activity is stochastic with a recovery time that is much shorter than the refractory period of the cell, and that IPI are not periodic. We conclude that Ca2+ spikes do not arise from oscillatory dynamics of IP3R clusters, but that repetitive Ca2+ spiking with its longer timescales is an emergent property of the dynamics of the whole cluster array. 相似文献
15.
Intracellular Ca2+ release is a versatile second messenger system. It is modeled here by reaction-diffusion equations for the free Ca2+ and Ca2+ buffers, with spatially discrete clusters of stochastic IP3 receptor channels (IP3Rs) controlling the release of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum. IP3Rs are activated by a small rise of the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and inhibited by large concentrations. Buffering of cytosolic Ca2+ shapes global Ca2+ transients. Here we use a model to investigate the effect of buffers with slow and fast reaction rates on single release spikes. We find that, depending on their diffusion coefficient, fast buffers can either decouple clusters or delay inhibition. Slow buffers have little effect on Ca2+ release, but affect the time course of the signals from the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator mainly by competing for Ca2+. At low [IP3], fast buffers suppress fluorescence signals, slow buffers increase the contrast between bulk signals and signals at open clusters, and large concentrations of buffers, either fast or slow, decouple clusters. 相似文献
16.
The number and spatial distribution of IP3 receptors underlying calcium puffs in Xenopus oocytes
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Calcium puffs are local Ca(2+) release events that arise from a cluster of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor channels (IP(3)Rs) and serve as a basic "building block" from which global Ca(2+) waves are generated. Important questions remain as to the number of IP(3)Rs that open during a puff, their spatial distribution within a cluster, and how much Ca(2+) current flows through each channel. The recent discovery of "trigger" events-small Ca(2+) signals that immediately precede puffs and are interpreted to arise through opening of single IP(3)R channels-now provides a useful yardstick by which to calibrate the Ca(2+) flux underlying puffs. Here, we describe a deterministic numerical model to simulate puffs and trigger events. Based on confocal linescan imaging in Xenopus oocytes, we simulated Ca(2+) release in two sequential stages; representing the trigger by the opening of a single IP(3)R in the center of a cluster for 12 ms, followed by the concerted opening of some number of IP(3)Rs for 19 ms, representing the rising phase of the puff. The diffusion of Ca(2+) and Ca(2+)-bound indicator dye were modeled in a three-dimensional cytosolic volume in the presence of immobile and mobile Ca(2+) buffers, and were used to predict the observed fluorescence signal after blurring by the microscope point-spread function. Optimal correspondence with experimental measurements of puff spatial width and puff/trigger amplitude ratio was obtained assuming that puffs arise from the synchronous opening of 25-35 IP(3)Rs, each carrying a Ca(2+) current of approximately 0.4 pA, with the channels distributed through a cluster 300-800 nm in diameter. 相似文献
17.
Puffs are local Ca(2+) signals that arise by Ca(2+) liberation from the endoplasmic reticulum through concerted opening of tightly clustered inositol trisphosphate receptor/channels (IP(3)R). They serve both local signaling functions and trigger global Ca(2+) waves. The numbers of functional IP(3)R within clusters differ appreciably between different puff sites, and we investigated how the probability of puff occurrence varies with cluster size. We imaged puffs in SH-SY5Y cells using total internal fluorescence microscopy, and estimated cluster sizes from the magnitude of the largest puff observed at each site relative to the signal from a single channel. We find that the initial triggering rate of puffs following photorelease of IP(3), and the average frequency of subsequent repetitive puffs, vary about linearly with cluster size. These data accord well with stochastic simulations in which opening of any individual IP(3)R channel within a cluster triggers a puff via Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release. An important consequence is that the signaling power of a puff site (average amount of Ca(2+) released per puff × puff frequency) varies about the square of cluster size, implying that large clusters contribute disproportionately to cellular signaling and, because of their higher puff frequency, preferentially act as pacemakers to initiate Ca(2+) waves. 相似文献
18.
Inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptors (IP(3)Rs) release intracellular Ca(2+) as localized Ca(2+) signals (Ca(2+) puffs) that represent the activity of small numbers of clustered IP(3)Rs spaced throughout the endoplasmic reticulum. Although much emphasis has been placed on estimating the number of active Ca(2+) release channels supporting Ca(2+) puffs, less attention has been placed on understanding the role of cluster microarchitecture. This is important as recent data underscores the dynamic nature of IP(3)R transitions between heterogeneous cellular architectures and the differential behavior of IP(3)Rs socialized into clusters. Here, we applied a high-resolution model incorporating stochastically gating IP(3)Rs within a three-dimensional cytoplasmic space to demonstrate: 1), Ca(2+) puffs are supported by a broad range of clustered IP(3)R microarchitectures; 2), cluster ultrastructure shapes Ca(2+) puff characteristics; and 3), loosely corralled IP(3)R clusters (>200 nm interchannel separation) fail to coordinate Ca(2+) puffs, owing to inefficient triggering and impaired coupling due to reduced Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release microwave velocity (<10 nm/s) throughout the channel array. Dynamic microarchitectural considerations may therefore influence Ca(2+) puff occurrence/properties in intact cells, contrasting with a more minimal role for channel number over the same simulated conditions in shaping local Ca(2+) dynamics. 相似文献
19.
《生物化学与生物物理学报:生物膜》2023,1865(7):184195
Numerous cellular processes are regulated by Ca2+ signals, and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane's inositol triphosphate receptor (IP3R) is critical for modulating intracellular Ca2+ dynamics. The IP3Rs are seen to be clustered in a variety of cell types. The combination of IP3Rs clustering and IP3Rs-mediated Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release results in the hierarchical organization of the Ca2+ signals, which challenges the numerical simulation given the multiple spatial and temporal scales that must be covered. The previous methods rather ignore the spatial feature of IP3Rs or fail to coordinate the conflicts between the real biological relevance and the computational cost. In this work, a general and efficient reduced-lattice model is presented for the simulation of IP3Rs-mediated multiscale Ca2+ dynamics. The model highlights biological details that make up the majority of the calcium events, including IP3Rs clustering and calcium domains, and it reduces the complexity by approximating the minor details. The model's extensibility provides fresh insights into the function of IP3Rs in producing global Ca2+ events and supports the research under more physiological circumstances. Our work contributes to a novel toolkit for modeling multiscale Ca2+ dynamics and advances knowledge of Ca2+ signals. 相似文献
20.
Localized intracellular Ca2+ elevations known as puffs and sparks arise from the cooperative activity of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor Ca2+ channels (IP3Rs) and ryanodine receptor Ca2+ channels (RyRs) clustered at Ca2+ release sites on the surface of the endoplasmic reticulum or sarcoplasmic reticulum. When Markov chain models of these intracellular Ca2+-regulated Ca2+ channels are coupled via a mathematical representation of a Ca2+ microdomain, simulated Ca2+ release sites may exhibit the phenomenon of “stochastic Ca2+ excitability” reminiscent of Ca2+ puffs and sparks where channels open and close in a concerted fashion. To clarify the role of Ca2+ inactivation of IP3Rs and RyRs in the dynamics of puffs and sparks, we formulate and analyze Markov chain models of Ca2+ release sites composed of 10–40 three-state intracellular Ca2+ channels that are inactivated as well as activated by Ca2+. We study how the statistics of simulated puffs and sparks depend on the kinetics and dissociation constant of Ca2+ inactivation and find that puffs and sparks are often less sensitive to variations in the number of channels at release sites and strength of coupling via local [Ca2+] when the average fraction of inactivated channels is significant. Interestingly, we observe that the single channel kinetics of Ca2+ inactivation influences the thermodynamic entropy production rate of Markov chain models of puffs and sparks. While excessively fast Ca2+ inactivation can preclude puffs and sparks, moderately fast Ca2+ inactivation often leads to time-irreversible puffs and sparks whose termination is facilitated by the recruitment of inactivated channels throughout the duration of the puff/spark event. On the other hand, Ca2+ inactivation may be an important negative feedback mechanism even when its time constant is much greater than the duration of puffs and sparks. In fact, slow Ca2+ inactivation can lead to release sites with a substantial fraction of inactivated channels that exhibit puffs and sparks that are nearly time-reversible and terminate without additional recruitment of inactivated channels. 相似文献