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Temperature compensation through systems biology
Peter Ruoff1, Maxim Zakhartsev, Hans V Westerhoff
1Department of Mathematics and Natural Science, University of Stavanger, Norway. peter.ruoff@uis.no
Organisms maintain constant physiological fluxes despite temperature changes by viewing temperature compensation as a pathway, not a single enzyme trait. This involves specific reaction network properties and dynamic regulation for adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry and Systems Biology
- Enzyme Kinetics and Metabolic Regulation
Background:
- Individual biochemical reactions are sensitive to temperature fluctuations.
- Many organisms exhibit remarkable temperature compensation, maintaining stable physiological fluxes across a range of temperatures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate temperature compensation as a network pathway phenomenon.
- To identify reaction networks capable of exhibiting temperature compensation using metabolic control analysis.
Main Methods:
- Metabolic Control Analysis (MCA) to identify temperature-compensating networks.
- Hierarchical control analysis to explore dynamic regulatory mechanisms.
- Calorimetric experiments in yeast to validate findings.
Main Results:
- Temperature compensation is a pathway property, not solely dependent on single enzymes.
- Negative control coefficients in reaction networks, achieved through branching or feedback, facilitate flux compensation.
- Dynamic regulation via gene expression or signal transduction can further optimize temperature compensation.
Conclusions:
- Temperature compensation arises from the interplay of reactions within a metabolic network.
- Network architecture and dynamic regulation are key to maintaining physiological stability across temperatures.
- Experimental evidence in yeast supports the concept of dynamic temperature adaptation.
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