Signalling: basics and evolution

• Autorzy: Williams R. J. P.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Signalling concerns the transfer of information from one body, a source, to an­other, a receiver in order to stimulate activity. The problem arises with the word in­formation. It is defined as what is transferred in a sequence of things, say between people, e.g. words or signs. The idea of signalling between people is then obvious but it is not clear in cell biology. Information transfer, signalling, is required for the or­ganisation of all cellular activity but we must ask what is transferred and how is it transmitted and received? Sometimes it is assumed that all information, i.e. organi­sation in a cell, is represented in the DNA sequence. This is incorrect. We shall show that the environment is a second source of information concerning material and en­ergy. The receiving party from both DNA and the environment is general metabo­lism. The metabolism then signals back and sends information to both DNA and up­take from the environment. Even then energy is needed with machinery to send out all signals. This paper examines the way signalling evolved from prokaryotes through to man. In this process the environmental information received increased to the extent that finally the brain is a phenotypic as much as a genotypic organ within a whole organism. By phenotypic we mean it is organised by and interactive with infor­mation from the environment.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

donor; receptor; information transfer; evolution; substrate; metal ion; signalling; pump

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Acta Biochimica Polonica
• Rocznik: 2004
• Tom: 51
• Numer: 2
• Opis fizyczny: p.281-298,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Williams R. J. P.

• University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, U.K.

Bibliografia

• Frausto da Silva JJR, Williams RJP. (2001) The Biological Chemistry ofthe Elements, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• Williams RJP, Frausto da Silva JJR. (1999) Bringing Chemistry to Life. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• Williams RJP, Frausto da Silva JJR. (2003) Evolution was chemically constrained. J Theor Biol.; 220: 323-43.
• Full coverage of various aspects of signalling is to be found in the handbook: Bradshaw RA, Dennis EA. (eds) (2003) Handbook of Cell Signalling; Vols 1-3. Elsevier, Amsterdam.