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Biophys J, October 1998, p. 1700-1711, Vol. 75, No. 4

Effect of Syncytium Structure of Receptor Systems on Stochastic Resonance Induced by Chaotic Potential Fluctuation

Yoshiki Kashimori, Hirofumi Funakubo, and Takeshi Kambara

Department of Applied Physics and Chemistry, The University of Electro-Communications, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan

To study a role of syncytium structure of sensory receptor systems in the detection of weak signals through stochastic resonance, we present a model of a receptor system with syncytium structure in which receptor cells are interconnected by gap junctions. The apical membrane of each cell includes two kinds of ion channels whose gating processes are described by the deterministic model. The membrane potential of each cell fluctuates chaotically or periodically, depending on the dynamical state of collective channel gating. The chaotic fluctuation of membrane potential acts as internal noise for the stochastic resonance. The detection ability of the system increases as the electric conductance between adjacent cells generated by the gap junction increases. This effect of gap junctions arises mainly from the fact that the synchronization of chaotic fluctuation of membrane potential between the receptor cells is strengthened as the density of gap junctions is increased.

Biophys J, October 1998, p. 1700-1711, Vol. 75, No. 4
© 1998 by the Biophysical Society   0006-3495/98/10/1700/12  $2.00




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Copyright © 1998 by the Biophysical Society.