TY - JOUR
T1 - On an algorithmic definition for the components of the minimal cell
AU - Martínez, Octavio
AU - Humberto Reyes-Valdés, M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Martínez, Reyes-Valdés. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2018/6
Y1 - 2018/6
N2 - Living cells are highly complex systems comprising a multitude of elements that are engaged in the many convoluted processes observed during the cell cycle. However, not all elements and processes are essential for cell survival and reproduction under steady-state environmental conditions. To distinguish between essential from expendable cell components and thus define the ‘minimal cell’ and the corresponding ‘minimal genome’, we postulate that the synthesis of all cell elements can be represented as a finite set of binary operators, and within this framework we show that cell elements that depend on their previous existence to be synthesized are those that are essential for cell survival. An algorithm to distinguish essential cell elements is presented and demonstrated within an interactome. Data and functions implementing the algorithm are given as supporting information. We expect that this algorithmic approach will lead to the determination of the complete interactome of the minimal cell, which could then be experimentally validated. The assumptions behind this hypothesis as well as its consequences for experimental and theoretical biology are discussed.
AB - Living cells are highly complex systems comprising a multitude of elements that are engaged in the many convoluted processes observed during the cell cycle. However, not all elements and processes are essential for cell survival and reproduction under steady-state environmental conditions. To distinguish between essential from expendable cell components and thus define the ‘minimal cell’ and the corresponding ‘minimal genome’, we postulate that the synthesis of all cell elements can be represented as a finite set of binary operators, and within this framework we show that cell elements that depend on their previous existence to be synthesized are those that are essential for cell survival. An algorithm to distinguish essential cell elements is presented and demonstrated within an interactome. Data and functions implementing the algorithm are given as supporting information. We expect that this algorithmic approach will lead to the determination of the complete interactome of the minimal cell, which could then be experimentally validated. The assumptions behind this hypothesis as well as its consequences for experimental and theoretical biology are discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85048034814&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0198222
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0198222
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 29856803
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 13
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 6
M1 - e0198222
ER -