Cell Language Theory, The: Connecting Mind And Matter

Applications of the Cell Language Theory to Biomedical Sciences 301

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

maintain mRNA levels constant as long as possible, despite the fact that

TR and TD undergo large changes. Alternatively, it may be concluded

that, during the glucose–galactose shift, budding yeast cells regulate TR

and TD in such a manner as to keep TL constant. We may refer to this

interpretation as the “RNA homeostasis” or better, RNA homeodynamic

hypothesis. (Homeodynamics here is defined as the maintenance of

dynamic patterns of the changes in intracellular components, including

steady-state patterns. Thus defined, homeodynamics includes homeostasis

as one of its species.) Similar phenomenon has been observed with respect

to the intracellular levels of ATP under a wide variety of cell metabolic

conditions [325]: i.e., the intracellular ATP levels remain relatively con-

stant despite great changes in the rates of ATP synthesis and utilization.

One of the universal features of the dynamics of TL in the TL–TR–TD

space is the turning point occurring at around 120 min after the glucose–

galactose shift. This is believed to be due to the metabolic patterns in

budding yeast switching from fermentation to respiration. Therefore, we

can divide the trajectory of TL into two parts — one before and the other

after the turning point. The trajectory before the turning point will be

referred to as the F (from fermentation) phase and that after the turning

point as the R (from respiration) phase. The angle that the F and R phases

make at the turning point (to be called the “FR angle”) can be used as a

quantitative measure of the reversibility of the control mechanisms of

RNA metabolism in budding yeast: The smaller the FR angle, the more

reversible is the control mechanism of RNA metabolism (or the larger the

FR angle, the more irreversible is the control mechanism). Evidently, the

dynamics of the TL trajectory associated with gene 1 shows an almost

zero FR angle, whereas that associated with gene 6 exhibits an FR angle

close to 90°. The reason for such differential behaviors exhibited by FR

angles is not yet clear.

7.2.3 Ribonoscopy is to Cell Biology What Spectroscopy

is to Atomic Physics

Figure 7.7, which represents the states of gene expressions along chromo-

somes, shows striking, although superficial, similarity with atomic

absorption spectra such as shown in Figure 7.8. Figure 7.7 is about the

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