Dynamic organization in cellular systems

Abstract

The relationship between events occurring at the molecular—supramolecular levels, such as gene expression, cellular energetics, metabolism and ‘supra’ properties such as cellular growth, proliferation and differentiation, is an unsolved problem in the whole biological literature. We conceive those ‘supra’ properties as emerging from the autonomous dynamics and spatio-temporal coordination of events occurring at the molecular—supramolecular level. Within this conceptual framework it may be postulated that cell growth, proliferation and differentiation involve a sequence of processes coordinated in space and time, i.e. should be performed at the ‘right’ time and space inside the cell or a tissue (Dean and Hinselwood, 1966). Thus, the autonomous dynamics of cellular processes and their spatio-temporal coupling is at the heart of cell function (Aon and Cortassa, 1993).