Picking the right metaphors for addressing microbial systems: economic theory helps understanding biological complexity.
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| Title: | Picking the right metaphors for addressing microbial systems: economic theory helps understanding biological complexity. |
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| Authors: | Kim, Juhyun1 (AUTHOR), Silva-Rocha, Rafael2 (AUTHOR), de Lorenzo, Víctor3 (AUTHOR) vdlorenzo@cnb.csic.es |
| Source: | International Microbiology. Nov2021, Vol. 24 Issue 4, p507-519. 13p. |
| Abstract: | Any descriptive language is necessarily metaphoric and interpretative. Two somewhat overlapping—but not identical—languages have been thoroughly employed in the last decade to address the issue of regulatory complexity in biological systems: the terminology of network theory and the jargon of electric circuitry. These approaches have found many formal equivalences between the layout of extant genetic circuits and the architecture of man-made counterparts. However, these languages still fail to describe accurately key features of biological objects, in particular the diversity of signal-transfer molecules and the diffusion that is inherent to any biochemical system. Furthermore, current formalisms associated with networks and circuits can hardly face the problem of multi-scale regulatory complexity—from single molecules to entire ecosystems. We argue that the language of economic theory might be instrumental not only to portray accurately many features of regulatory networks, but also to unveil aspects of the biological complexity problem that remain opaque to other types of analyses. The main perspective opened by the economic metaphor when applied to control of microbiological activities is a focus on metabolism, not gene selfishness, as the necessary background to make sense of regulatory phenomena. As an example, we analyse and reinterpret the widespread phenomenon of catabolite repression with the formal frame of the consumer's choice theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of International Microbiology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 153787458 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Picking the right metaphors for addressing microbial systems: economic theory helps understanding biological complexity. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kim%2C+Juhyun%22">Kim, Juhyun</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Silva-Rocha%2C+Rafael%22">Silva-Rocha, Rafael</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22de+Lorenzo%2C+Víctor%22">de Lorenzo, Víctor</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> vdlorenzo@cnb.csic.es</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22International+Microbiology%22">International Microbiology</searchLink>. Nov2021, Vol. 24 Issue 4, p507-519. 13p. – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Any descriptive language is necessarily metaphoric and interpretative. Two somewhat overlapping—but not identical—languages have been thoroughly employed in the last decade to address the issue of regulatory complexity in biological systems: the terminology of network theory and the jargon of electric circuitry. These approaches have found many formal equivalences between the layout of extant genetic circuits and the architecture of man-made counterparts. However, these languages still fail to describe accurately key features of biological objects, in particular the diversity of signal-transfer molecules and the diffusion that is inherent to any biochemical system. Furthermore, current formalisms associated with networks and circuits can hardly face the problem of multi-scale regulatory complexity—from single molecules to entire ecosystems. We argue that the language of economic theory might be instrumental not only to portray accurately many features of regulatory networks, but also to unveil aspects of the biological complexity problem that remain opaque to other types of analyses. The main perspective opened by the economic metaphor when applied to control of microbiological activities is a focus on metabolism, not gene selfishness, as the necessary background to make sense of regulatory phenomena. As an example, we analyse and reinterpret the widespread phenomenon of catabolite repression with the formal frame of the consumer's choice theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of International Microbiology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s10123-021-00194-w Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 13 StartPage: 507 Titles: – TitleFull: Picking the right metaphors for addressing microbial systems: economic theory helps understanding biological complexity. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kim, Juhyun – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Silva-Rocha, Rafael – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: de Lorenzo, Víctor IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 11 Text: Nov2021 Type: published Y: 2021 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 11396709 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 24 – Type: issue Value: 4 Titles: – TitleFull: International Microbiology Type: main |
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