Extension of NEURON simulator for simulation of reaction-diffusion in neurons

描述（由申请人提供）：计算系统生物学的多尺度建模对神经科学以及其他生物医学研究领域的重要性日益增加。在神经元和神经网络的背景下，将计算细胞生物学和突触功能的最新发现整合起来，将需要能够将反应扩散模型整合到基因组和蛋白质组学表达水平的模拟。这将允许模拟复杂的生化相互作用发生在细胞体，树突和棘。要做到这一点，设计用来模拟电生理的NEURON模拟器将需要大量的扩展。主要的扩展将包括在现有的多室电压积分基础上增加三维细胞内空间积分与配准。为了使新工具完全可用，还需要在前端和后端进行额外的扩展。这项工作将与康涅狄格大学健康中心的VCell团队合作完成，他们将为我们提供集成程序中的代码，并将为这些复杂模拟所需的其他查看器的开发提供咨询。该程序还将确保与VCell模拟器、其他现有的读取和写入SBML（系统生物学标记语言）和NeuroML的细胞生物学模拟器的互操作性。对NEURON的扩展将通过以下具体目标实现。从其他动态标记语言进行动态翻译。2. 三维细胞内反应扩散模型的实现。3. 两个主要驱动项目的开发：a. als相关线粒体运输功能障碍模型；B.脊椎和树突之间的化学通量模型。4. 新工具的传播。传播对于确保新工具被650多名活跃的NEURON用户中的一些人使用至关重要。我们也将努力鼓励细胞神经生物学家将NEURON和VCell纳入他们的技术库。在这两个主要平台之间的模型转换，使用数百个同行评审的已发表的仿真，将鼓励仿真重用和加快新应用程序的开发。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Multiscale modeling for computational systems biology is growing in importance for neuroscience as well as for other areas of biomedical research. Integration of recent findings in computational cell biology and synapse function, in the context of neurons and neuronal networks, will require simulations that can incorporate reaction-diffusion modeling down to the level of genomic and proteomic expression. This will allow simulation of the complex biochemical interactions occurring in cell bodies, dendrites and spines. To do this, the NEURON simulator, designed to simulate electrophysiology, will require major extensions. The primary extension will involve addition of 3-dimensional intracellular spatial integration with registration to the existing multicompartment voltage integration. Additional extensions at front and back- ends will also be needed to make the new tools fully useable. This work will be done in collaboration with the VCell team at University of Connecticut Health Center, who will provide us with code from their integration procedures and will consult on development of additional viewers that will be needed for these complex simulations. This procedure will also ensure interoperability with the VCell simulator, other existing cell biology simulators that read and write SBML (Systems Biology markup-language), and NeuroML. The extensions to NEURON will be effected through the following Specific Aims. 1. Kinetic translation from other kinetic markup languages. 2. Implementation of 3-D intracellular reaction diffusion modeling. 3. Development of two primary driving projects: a. model of ALS-related mitochondrial transport dysfunction; b. model of chemical fluxes between spine and dendrite. 4. Dissemination of the new tools. Dissemination is of critical importance to ensure that the new tool is used by some of the more than 650 active NEURON users. We will also make efforts to encourage cell neurobiologists to incorporate both NEURON and VCell into their technique repertoire. The ready translation of models between these two major platforms, using the several hundred peer-review published simulations available, will encourage simulation reuse and speed development of new applications. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The enormous complexity of brain interactions makes understanding brain diseases such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease and epilepsy more difficult than understanding diseases in other organs. Part of this complexity lies in the need to understand how the chemicals that underlie learning and memory and brain energy interact with the electrical signals that travel along nerve fibers. We will extend NEURON, one of the most widely used nerve and brain simulators, so that it simulates chemical reactions as well as electric signals and allow these two types of information to be combined to understand disease.