Publications


Title : Field Hypothesis on the Self-regulation of Gene Expression

Language: English
Type: Article
Authors: and Kenichi Yoshikawa
Journal: Journal of Biological Physics
ISSN: 0092-0606
Volume: 28
Number: 4
Month: 12
Year: 2002
Actual year: 2002
Pages: 701-712
doi:   10.1023/a:1021251125101
Abstract: The mechanism of the self-regulation of gene expression in living cells is generally explained by considering complicated networks of key-lock relationships, and in fact there is a large body of evidence on a huge number of key-lock relationships. However, in the present article we stress that with the network hypothesis alone it is impossible to fully explain the mechanism of self-regulation in life. Recently, it has been established that individual giant DNA molecules, larger than several tens of kilo base pairs, undergo a large discrete transition in their higher-order structure. It has become clear that nonspecific weak interactions with various chemicals, such as polyamines, small salts, ATP and RNA, cause on/off switching in the higher-order structure of DNA. Thus, the field parameters of the cellular environment should play important roles in the mechanism of self-regulation, in addition to networks of key and locks. This conformational transition induced by field parameters may be related to rigid on/off regulation, whereas key-lock relationships may be involved in a more flexible control of gene expression.

"Field Hypothesis on the Self-regulation of Gene Expression"

and Kenichi Yoshikawa, Journal of Biological Physics, 28, 701-712 (2002)