Table 1. Model parameters.

Parameter		Value	Reference
Glass tube geometry
	length of glass tube		adjusted
	glass tube diameter		adjusted
Dendrite geometry
	length of dendritic segment		adjusted
	dendrite diameter		(Koch, 1999)
	dendritic cross section	0.785	adjusted
Crowding
	compartment length		adjusted
	opening size		adjusted
	compartment parameter	0.05	adjusted
-ions
	diffusion constant of free		(Korkotian et al., 2004)
	initial concentration for pulse		(Korkotian et al., 2004)
-pumps
	pump rate for PMCA	0.2710	(Erler et al., 2004)
	pump density for PMCA	9200/	(Erler et al., 2004)
	half-saturation constant for PMCA		(Korkotian et al., 2004)
	hill coefficient for PMCA	1.0	(Stauffer et al., 1995)
	pump rate for NCX	0.4810	(Erler et al., 2004)
	pump density for NCX	300/	(Erler et al., 2004)
	half-saturation constant for NCX		(Fujioka et al., 2000)
	hill coefficient for NCX	1.7	(Fujioka et al., 2000)
Calmodulin
	total concentration	10, 25 (default), 100	(Volfovsky et al., 1999)
	forward binding rate for 1st binding	160	(Johnson et al., 1996)
	backward binding rate for 1st binding	405	(Johnson et al., 1996)
	forward binding rate for 2st binding	160	(Johnson et al., 1996)
	backward binding rate for 2st binding	405	(Johnson et al., 1996)
	forward binding rate for 3st binding	2.3	(Johnson et al., 1996)
	backward binding rate for 3st binding	2.4	(Johnson et al., 1996)
	forward binding rate for 4st binding	2.3	(Johnson et al., 1996)
	backward binding rate for 4st binding	2.4	(Johnson et al., 1996)
Calcineurine
	total concentration	5, 10 (default), 25	(Volfovsky et al., 1999)
	forward binding rate	50	(Volfovsky et al., 1999)
	backward binding rate	25	(Volfovsky et al., 1999)
Calcium dye (Fluo-4)
	total concentration	2	(Korkotion et al., 2004)
	forward binding rate	60	(Korkotion et al., 2004)
	backward binding rate	170	(Korkotion et al., 2004)
NMDA-R
	current through a single NMDAR	9 pA	(Pina-Crespo and Gibb, 2002)
	fraction of current carried by		(Burnashev, 1995)
	time constant (decay)	80 ms	(Zador and Koch, 1994)
	time constant (rise)	3 ms	(Zador and Koch, 1994)
	radius of receptor	0.025 m	adjusted
Spines
	spine radius	0.05–0.16	(Koch, 1999)

Parameters used in the stochastic simulation experiments and mean-field calcium dynamics simulations.