Electrophysiological activity to cell metabolism signal transduction: Possible feedback regulatory biochemical pathways

Intracellular free calcium concentration [Ca ] has been extensively studied as a major feedback element, transducing endogenous levels of electrical activity into an intracellular signal, in the context of modeling activity-dependent changes of ionic conductances of a neuronal membrane patch through slow biochemical subcellular mechanisms. However, distinct patterns of activity may induce similar mean levels in [Ca ] so that a multiple sensing mechanism, integrating and matching the features of calcium temporal dynamics over various time scales, is needed to overcome such ambiguous situations. In the present research, we investigate the possible role of a metabolic sensor, related to the power dissipated by the passive ion transport through channels, as an alternative candidate in intracellular calcium independent signal transduction of the electrophysiological activity. 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.