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“Cellular
economy of molecular machines “
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Date: |
Download-files: |
Time: |
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Thursday, 27. March. 2014 |
Audio-only-Recording as MP3-File
(smallest possible size):
- Audio.mp3 (ca.30Mb) ============================================ Video-Recording for any system with MP4-support:
- Video.mp4 (ca.261Mb) |
15:15 – 16:15 |
Abstract:
The central
dogma of molecular biology states that genetic information flows unidirectionally, from DNA to RNA to protein.
The steps
in processing the genetic information are carried out by specifically dedicated
molecular machines (RNA and DNA polymerases, ribosomes)
that themselves are either proteins or (in the case of ribosomes)
RNA-protein complexes.
Thus, the
seemingly unidirectional flow of genetic information involves feedback loops
for the required machinery.
In the
talk, I will explore some interesting consequences of these feedbacks. I will
address both mechanistic aspects and
aspects
of the cellular economy of these machines (how many of the machines are found
in a cell, how is that number adjusted
to growth
conditions etc.). Specific topics to be discussed are physical constraints on
the maximal rates of RNA synthesis (transcription), the effect of dense RNA
polymerase traffic on transcription accuracy, the growth rate dependence of the
cellular
abundance of these machines and the role of molecular crowding in protein
synthesis (translation).