Mitochondria regulate the amplitude of simple and complex calcium oscillations Original Research Article

In a mathematical model for simple calcium oscillations [Biophys. Chem. 71 (1998) 125], it has been shown that mitochondria play an important role in the maintenance of constant amplitudes of cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations. Simple plausible rate laws for Ca2+ fluxes across the inner mitochondrial membrane have been used in this model. Here we show that it is possible to use the same rate laws as a plug-in element in other existing mathematical models and obtain the same effect on amplitude regulation. This result appears to be universal, independent of the type of model and the type of Ca2+ oscillations. We demonstrate this on two models for spiking Ca2+ oscillations [J. Biol. Chem. 266 (1991) 11068; Cell Calcium 14 (1993) 311] and on two recent models for bursting Ca2+ oscillations; one of them being a receptor-operated model [Biophys. J. 79 (2000) 1188] and the other one being a store-operated model [BioSystems 57 (2000) 75].