Figure 2.

Blocking calcium entry can, but does not necessarily, stop metabolic oscillations. Simulations using the model by Bertram et al.²² The upper panels, A and B, show slow calcium oscillations, which are interrupted by blocking Ca²⁺ channels. The conductance of these channels was lowered by 90% at t = 10 min. These oscillations are driven by oscillations in glycolysis and ATP levels as shown in the lower panels, C and D. However, when PFK has a high affinity for ATP (A and C), the metabolic oscillations die out when calcium influx is blocked (C). In contrast with a five-times lower ATP affinity, PFK-driven oscillations continue (D) although calcium is low and stable (B). The parameters are as Figure 7 in Bertram et al.²²