A physical model of cell metabolism

Cell metabolism is characterized by three fundamental energy demands: to sustain cell maintenance, to trigger aerobic fermentation and to achieve maximum metabolic rate. The transition to aerobic fermentation and the maximum metabolic rate are currently understood based on enzymatic cost constraints...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2018-05, Vol.8 (1), p.8349-13, Article 8349
Main Authors: Fernandez-de-Cossio-Diaz, Jorge, Vazquez, Alexei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
631/553/2710
631/57/1464
639/766/747
Cellular Microenvironment
Cytoplasm
Energy
Energy demand
Energy Metabolism - physiology
Fermentation
Homeostasis - physiology
Humanities and Social Sciences
Life Sciences
Metabolic rate
Metabolism
Models, Theoretical
Molecular Motor Proteins
multidisciplinary
Osmolarity
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:Cell metabolism is characterized by three fundamental energy demands: to sustain cell maintenance, to trigger aerobic fermentation and to achieve maximum metabolic rate. The transition to aerobic fermentation and the maximum metabolic rate are currently understood based on enzymatic cost constraints. Yet, we are lacking a theory explaining the maintenance energy demand. Here we report a physical model of cell metabolism that explains the origin of these three energy scales. Our key hypothesis is that the maintenance energy demand is rooted on the energy expended by molecular motors to fluidize the cytoplasm and counteract molecular crowding. Using this model and independent parameter estimates we make predictions for the three energy scales that are in quantitative agreement with experimental values. The model also recapitulates the dependencies of cell growth with extracellular osmolarity and temperature. This theory brings together biophysics and cell biology in a tractable model that can be applied to understand key principles of cell metabolism.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-26724-7