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于神经科学以及生物医学研究的其他领域越来越重要。在神经元和神经元网络的背景下，整合计算细胞生物学和突触功能方面的最新发现，将需要能够将反应-扩散模型整合到基因组和蛋白质组表达水平的模拟。这将允许模拟发生在细胞体、树突和脊椎中的复杂生化相互作用。要做到这一点，为模拟电生理学而设计的神经元模拟器将需要进行重大扩展。主要的扩展将包括在现有的多室电压积分的基础上增加具有注册的三维细胞内空间积分。还需要在前端和后端进行额外的扩展，以使新工具完全可用。这项工作将与康涅狄格大学健康中心的Vcell团队合作完成，他们将向我们提供集成程序的代码，并将就开发这些复杂模拟所需的额外查看器提供咨询。该程序还将确保与Vcell模拟器、读写SBML(系统生物学标记语言)的其他现有细胞生物学模拟器以及NeuroML的互操作性。对神经元的延伸将通过以下具体目标来实现。1.其他动态标记语言的动态翻译。2.实现了三维细胞内反应扩散模型。3.开发两个主要驱动项目：a.ALS相关线粒体转运功能障碍模型；b.棘突和树突之间的化学通量模型。4.传播新工具。传播对于确保650多名活跃神经元用户中的一些人使用新工具至关重要。我们还将努力鼓励细胞神经生物学家将神经元和Vcell纳入他们的技术体系。在这两个主要平台之间使用数百个同行评审发布的可用模拟来随时转换模型，将鼓励模拟重复使用并加快新应用程序的开发。 与公共卫生相关：大脑相互作用的巨大复杂性使得理解阿尔茨海默病、帕金森病和癫痫等大脑疾病比理解其他器官的疾病更困难。这种复杂性的部分原因在于需要了解构成学习和记忆以及大脑能量基础的化学物质是如何与沿着神经纤维传播的电信号相互作用的。我们将扩展神经元，这是使用最广泛的神经和大脑模拟器之一，以便它模拟化学反应和电信号，并允许这两种类型的信息结合起来理解疾病。

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.