Cell Language Theory, The: Connecting Mind And Matter

156 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matter

b2861 The Cell Language Theory: Connecting Mind and Matter “6x9”

a = Lk – Lk 0 = (Tw + Wr) – (Tw 0 + Wr 0 ),

= (Tw – Tw 0 ) + (Wr – Wr 0 ),

=   ∆Tw + ∆Wr. (3.53)

where the subscript 0 indicates the relaxed DNA duplex under

consideration. Inside the cell, DNA molecules are commonly maintained

by topoisomerases in negatively supercoiled states, making their linking

number Lk smaller than their relaxed values Lk 0 so that a = Lk – Lk 0 < 0.

Therefore, a can be interpreted as a quantitative measure of conformons

embedded in circular DNA [65].

Applying Eq. (3.53) to the DNA supercoils shown in Figure 3.43

leads to the numerical values given in Table 3.19. As already indicated,

linking number difference a can be viewed as a quantitative measure of

the free energy stored in supercoiled DNA introduced by nicking–twist-

ing–resealing operation on the circular DNA duplexes. Interestingly, this

mechanical energy can be distributed either in the twist (∆Tw) or the

write (∆Wr) of the supercoiled DNA duplex (see the last row in

Table 3.19). The former represents the mechanical energy stored in local

deformation (see Figure 3.43(d)), while the latter indicates the

same energy distributed over the whole circular DNA duplex (see

Figure 3.43(e)). These results support the concept of conformons as

mobile mechanical or conformational energy packets stored in biopolymers

and the CPBE (Statement (3.49)).

Table 3.19 Mechanical energy stored in circular DNA duplexes.

Conformational or Energy State of Circular DNA Duplexes Lk Tw Wr

Ground: relaxed circle (B) 25 25 0

Energized: unwound circle (D) 23 23 0

Energized: negatively supercoiled (E) 23 25 – 2

a = ∆Tw + ∆Wr (∆ = energized state – ground state) a = –2 ∆Tw = –2 ∆Wr = 0

∆Tw = 0 ∆Wr = – 2

Source: Data from Figure 3.43.

b2861_Ch-03.indd 156 17-10-2017 11:46:57 AM