Computational modeling approaches to cAMP/PKA signaling in cardiomyocytes

Abstract

The cAMP/PKA pathway is a fundamental regulator of excitation-contraction coupling in cardiomyocytes. Activation of cAMP has a variety of downstream effects on cardiac function including enhanced contraction, accelerated relaxation, adaptive stress response, mitochondrial regulation, and gene transcription. Experimental advances have shed light on the compartmentation of cAMP and PKA, which allow for control over the varied targets of these second messengers and is disrupted in heart failure conditions. Computational modeling is an important tool for understanding the spatial and temporal complexities of this system. In this review article, we outline the advances in computational modeling that have allowed for deeper understanding of cAMP/PKA dynamics in the cardiomyocyte in health and disease, and explore new modeling frameworks that may bring us closer to a more complete understanding of this system. We outline various compartmental and spatial signaling models that have been used to understand how β-adrenergic signaling pathways function in a variety of simulation conditions. We also discuss newer subcellular models of cardiovascular function that may be used as templates for the next phase of computational study of cAMP and PKA in the heart, and outline open challenges which are important to consider in future models.