Minorities and Small Numbers From Molecules to Organisms in Biology : Toward a New Understanding of Biological Phenomena

"This book provides an accessible introduction to an exciting new field of life science in which the focus is on small numbers of molecules and minorities within cell populations and their significance for the understanding of biological phenomena. Numbers, or quantitative data, are attracting more attention in cell biology following, for example, determination of the absolute copy number of each protein species in each bacterial cell and the recognition of leader cells that drive collective cell migration. Within this context, the authors present recent advances in experimental techniques, biological findings, and theories. A variety of cutting-edge topics and issues are addressed, with explanation of the ways in which recent developments in the field cast light on seemingly straightforward but difficult-to-answer questions. Readers will learn that we are on the verge of a paradigm shift as the importance of cooperation among groups of molecules in live cells is acknowledged. The book is designed to be enjoyable to read and easy to understand. It will be of interest for a wide range of readers, including young researchers and undergraduate/high school students." -- prové de l'editor Preface 6 Contents 8 Contributors 10 A Look at Functions That Emerge from Small Numbers 12 Neuronal Synaptic Connections Organized by Small Numbers of Molecules 18 Cajal Meets a Present-Day Neuroscientist (The Following Is Fiction) 18 Observation of Synapses with Electron Microscopy and Proof of the Neuron Theory 19 Proteins in the Synapse 21 Only a Small Number of Molecules Are Localized in the Synapse 22 References 24 Invasions of Small Numbers: How Many Virus Particles Does It Take to Infect Someone with the Flu? 25 Reference 30 Rebellion by the Minority: Prophecies by Molecules on Paper and Computers 31 A Simple Question 31 Do Minorities Change Big Groups? 33 Small Numbers of Molecules, Cells, Individuals... 38 References 39 The Personality of Small Numbers: Do Molecules Have Personality? 40 What Is Personality? 40 Do Molecules Have Personalities? 42 Molecular Personalities Inside Cells 44 References 46 Distinguishing and Searching for Minority Cells: Small in Number, But Large in Effect 47 References 52 Digital Bioanalysis 53 What Is Digitalization? 53 Smaller Is Better 55 What Is That Good for? 57 How Small Numbers of Long Genomic DNA Are Stored in Cells 60 References 65 Formation by Small Numbers: Minority Biological Scenarios in Correlations Among the Structure, Dynamics, and Function of Nuclear Chromosomes 66 Scenarios of the Structural Formation of Nuclear Chromosomes 66 The World Where Molecular Minority Shows Itself 71 Recognition of Homologous Nuclear Chromosomes 72 Searching for the Wellspring 74 References 74 Dividing Small Numbers: The Discreteness and Distribution of Molecules in the Cell Membrane 76 The Physical Properties of Cells 76 Artificial Cells (Cell Models) 78 How Osmotic Pressure Is Generated 78 The Shapes of Macromolecules 80 Deformation of the Membrane 82 Single Molecularity of Genome 84 References 85 Getting to Know the Functions of Small Numbers 86 How Do Muscles Contract? 86 Is There a Mechanism That Makes Muscles Contract Efficiently? 88 Working in Small Numbers: The Behaviors That Emerge When Small Numbers of Bionanomachines Team Up 93 The World in Which Bionanomachines Work: Is It Crowded? 93 Do Bionanomachines Have a Brain? 94 Behaviors Born Out of Teamwork 96 References 97 Thinking Small Numbers: When, Where, and How Many Molecules There Are in the Cell 98 The Cell: A Multipurpose Factory Facility 98 Production Strategies in an Industrial Group 100 The Lineup of Products and Numbers of Units 101 The Effects of “Fickleness” 102 Determining Small Numbers: How the Number of Flagella Is Determined 104 The Formation of Cellular Apparatuses and the Importance of Their Numbers 104 Flagella: The Motility Apparatuses of Bacterial Cells and the Control of Their Numbers 106 Mutants with Abnormal Flagellar Motors 106 FlhF and FlhG Regulate the Number of Flagella 109 In Conclusion 110 References 110 Controlling Production with Small Numbers: Precision Apparatuses Made of Proteins at Work in Bacteria 111 Bacterial Flagella 111 The Flagellum Grows at the Tip 113 The Length of the Hook Is Determined by a Molecular Ruler 114 How a Long Flagellar Filament Is Made 115 How Flagellum Production Is Stopped 116 Controlling the Number of Flagella 117 Organisms that Function with Small Numbers of Molecules 119 A Mother–Daughter Conversation 119 Biophysics? 120 Lower Life Forms? Bacteria, Artificial Intelligence, and Brain Research 120 Small Spaces 121 Chemotaxis 122 Receptors 125 The Flagellar Motor 127 In Conclusion 129 Reference 129 How Low Can You Go? The Numbers of Cells That Make Up Bodies: Large Numbers and Small Numbers 130 Reference 136 The Flow of Time Inside the Cell: The Time of Days Given by Molecules Driving the Circadian Clocks 137 We All Live on an Earth That Rotates on a 24-h Cycle 137 The Body Has a Clock That Tells the Time of Day 138 Every Cell in the Body Is Equipped with a Circadian Clock 140 How the Circadian Clock Works: Is It an Hourglass? 140 From the Number of Circadian Clock Proteins, A New Question Arises 142 References 145 Afterword 146 Index 148 Front Matter ....Pages i-xii A Look at Functions That Emerge from Small Numbers (Takeharu Nagai)....Pages 1-6 Neuronal Synaptic Connections Organized by Small Numbers of Molecules (Hideji Murakoshi)....Pages 7-13 Invasions of Small Numbers: How Many Virus Particles Does It Take to Infect Someone with the Flu? (Yusuke Ohba)....Pages 15-20 Rebellion by the Minority: Prophecies by Molecules on Paper and Computers (Yuichi Togashi)....Pages 21-29 The Personality of Small Numbers: Do Molecules Have Personality? (Tamiki Komatsuzaki)....Pages 31-37 Distinguishing and Searching for Minority Cells: Small in Number, But Large in Effect (Katsuyuki Shiroguchi)....Pages 39-44 Digital Bioanalysis (Hiroyuki Noji)....Pages 45-51 How Small Numbers of Long Genomic DNA Are Stored in Cells (Kazuhiro Maeshima)....Pages 53-58 Formation by Small Numbers: Minority Biological Scenarios in Correlations Among the Structure, Dynamics, and Function of Nuclear Chromosomes (Akinori Awazu)....Pages 59-68 Dividing Small Numbers: The Discreteness and Distribution of Molecules in the Cell Membrane (Hiroaki Suzuki)....Pages 69-78 Getting to Know the Functions of Small Numbers (Motoshi Kaya)....Pages 79-85 Working in Small Numbers: The Behaviors That Emerge When Small Numbers of Bionanomachines Team Up (Junichiro Yajima)....Pages 87-91 Thinking Small Numbers: When, Where, and How Many Molecules There Are in the Cell (Yuichi Taniguchi)....Pages 93-98 Determining Small Numbers: How the Number of Flagella Is Determined (Seiji Kojima)....Pages 99-105 Controlling Production with Small Numbers: Precision Apparatuses Made of Proteins at Work in Bacteria (Katsumi Imada)....Pages 107-114 Organisms that Function with Small Numbers of Molecules (Hajime Fukuoka, Yong-Suk Che, Akihiko Ishijima)....Pages 115-125 How Low Can You Go? The Numbers of Cells That Make Up Bodies: Large Numbers and Small Numbers (Kazuki Horikawa)....Pages 127-133 The Flow of Time Inside the Cell: The Time of Days Given by Molecules Driving the Circadian Clocks (Koji L. Ode, Hiroki R. Ueda)....Pages 135-143 Back Matter ....Pages 145-150