Low potency toxins reveal dense interaction networks in metabolism.

ABSTRACT:

Background

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.

Results

Chemicals that contain structures that our outside Biochemical Space (UnBiological groups) are more likely to be toxic to a wide range of or

SUBMITTER: Bains W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4761184 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature