36] Kinetic models and simulation: Practical approaches and implementation notes

Abstract

Publisher Summary Kinetic models of ion channel gating are used to predict behavior of channels without actually performing the measurements. Some of the parameters simulated by the models may be conventionally measurable quantities, such as whole-cell currents, or they may even be parameters that are not routinely measurable, such as gating charge movements associated with a single channel. Because of their desired abilities to predict the channel behavior, kinetic models of ion channel gating have several different uses. Quantitative kinetic models provide insights into the underlying physical molecular processes involved in ion channel gating. Kinetic models allow quantitative comparisons of various conceptual models of ion channel gating by providing experimentally testable predictions. Simulation using kinetic models is also necessary to verify new analysis methods. Models implemented on computers are valuable as a teaching tool in ion channel biophysics. Simulations using ion channel kinetic models critically test our understanding of the way ion channel proteins function. Many investigators face a hard choice between being scientists and software engineers. Even though the computational hardware has improved dramatically in recent years, much of the electrophysiological software in use today still has its roots in the days of 8-bit processors. A modern multipurpose scientific computing environment, capable of both text-based and icon-based operations, would benefit the field tremendously.