Low potency toxins reveal dense interaction networks in metabolism

BMC Systems Biology
William Bains

Abstract

The chemicals of metabolism are constructed of a small set of atoms and bonds. This may be because chemical structures outside the chemical space in which life operates are incompatible with biochemistry, or because mechanisms to make or utilize such excluded structures has not evolved. In this paper I address the extent to which biochemistry is restricted to a small fraction of the chemical space of possible chemicals, a restricted subset that I call Biochemical Space. I explore evidence that this restriction is at least in part due to selection again specific structures, and suggest a mechanism by which this occurs. Chemicals that contain structures that our outside Biochemical Space (UnBiological groups) are more likely to be toxic to a wide range of organisms, even though they have no specifically toxic groups and no obvious mechanism of toxicity. This correlation of UnBiological with toxicity is stronger for low potency (millimolar) toxins. I relate this to the observation that most chemicals interact with many biological structures at low millimolar toxicity. I hypothesise that life has to select its components not only to have a specific set of functions but also to avoid interactions with all the other components of lif...Continue Reading

References

Jul 1, 1991·Human & Experimental Toxicology·D M Sanderson, C G Earnshaw
Dec 11, 1991·Biochemical Pharmacology·F S LaBella
Jun 1, 1990·Environmental Research·W Wang
Nov 1, 1988·Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·Y XuF Korte
Jan 1, 1983·Annual Review of Biochemistry·D J Waxman, J L Strominger
Jul 1, 1994·Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·M F Kirby, D A Sheahan
Mar 1, 1994·Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·M G TadrosV Pandiripally
Dec 22, 1999·Chemical Research in Toxicology·T W Schultz
Feb 19, 2000·Current Opinion in Biotechnology·S A Sundberg
Apr 13, 2000·Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences·D J Livingstone
Apr 13, 2000·Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences·C A BaxterW Wylie
Aug 26, 2000·Current Opinion in Chemical Biology·R P Hertzberg, A J Pope
Apr 17, 2001·Chemistry : a European Journal·A H Hoveyda, R R Schrock
Oct 18, 2001·Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences·T I OpreaP D Leeson
Jan 16, 2002·Protein Science : a Publication of the Protein Society·Buyong MaRuth Nussinov
Jan 31, 2002·Annual Review of Medicine·Michael M Gottesman
Mar 21, 2002·Nature Reviews. Cancer·Michael M GottesmanSusan E Bates
Mar 30, 2002·Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews·Nigel Greene
Jun 1, 2002·Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters·John R Proudfoot
Jun 8, 2002·Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety·Jianyi MaShufeng Wang
Jul 23, 2002·Current Opinion in Chemical Biology·Heather A Carlson
Aug 9, 2002·European Journal of Pharmacology·John C AnthesRobert E Egan
Dec 17, 2002·Chemical Research in Toxicology·T Wayne SchultzAynur O Aptula
Jan 28, 2003·Drug Discovery Today·David F V Lewis, Maurice Dickins
Mar 13, 2003·Chemical Reviews·Rajni GargCorwin Hansch
Oct 16, 2003·Current Opinion in Pharmacology·Michael Entzeroth
Jan 14, 2004·Drugs·Xian-Zhi Li, Hiroshi Nikaido
Feb 26, 2004·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Richard A BrainKeith R Solomon
Apr 20, 2004·Chemical Research in Toxicology·Mark T D CroninAndrew D P Worgan
Jun 9, 2004·Environmental Pollution·Mark L Hanson, Keith R Solomon
Jun 9, 2004·Current Opinion in Chemical Biology·Mike M Hann, Tudor I Oprea
Aug 4, 2004·Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology·William BainsCat White
Nov 18, 2004·Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety·Xiong LiXie Liqiang
Dec 17, 2004·Human Genomics·Lee Makowski, Diane J Rodi

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jan 25, 2018·Journal of Natural Products·Janusz J PetkowskiSara Seager

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
NMR
protein folding

Software Mentioned

BiaCORE
SMILES
ExPasy
TOPKAT
Windows
MolDescrip
Qbasic
UnBiological
Roche
Combimol

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Environmental Science & Technology
Alistair B A BoxallSteve J Maund
Critical Care : the Official Journal of the Critical Care Forum
Sheldon Magder
Modern Healthcare
E Thompson
Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing
Yashar Sarbaz, Hakimeh Pourakbari
© 2022 Meta ULC. All rights reserved