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