A model screening framework for the generation of Ca2+ oscillations in hippocampal neurons using differential evolution

Calcium (Ca 2+ ) spiking in neurons generates versatile intracellular signals that control key functions such as synaptic plasticity, synchronicity, cell differentiation, and migration. Although there has been a significant effort towards constructing biophysical models of Ca 2+ oscillations in astrocytes, models capturing neuronal oscillations are limited. Moreover, a comparison of simulated results and experimental data remains sparse. Specifically, it remains challenging to estimate the kinetic parameters of non-linear models generating oscillatory output. We propose a tool for selecting a suitable model on the basis of frequency based objective function using differential evolution. In order to measure the Ca 2+ spiking in hippocampal neurons, we used fluorescent labeling and confocal imaging. The results show that the tool can guide in the selection of model yielding comparable frequency obtained from imaging experiments. We performed further validation using Ca 2+ oscillations in multiple cells. The proposed tool can be used for ranking of models and generation of Ca 2+ oscillations for various neuron types