Alometric relationships between volume to surface ratio, generation time, mass-corrected metabolic rate and lifespan metabolic potential of living cells in model for switch of gene programs from growth to differentiation and appoptosis

Abstract

The works of the other scientists have showed that the change of the size and form of the cells can leads to change of their mass-energy and spatial-time characteristics, as well as to switch gene programs of the cells from growth to differentiation and to apoptosis. In this direction the idea for control of metabolic, spatial-time and signaling pathways in cells via manipulation of volume to surface ratio (namely shape and size of the cells) is developed in manuscript. The base for such manipulation and control on cellular functions is existence of linear relationship between the volume to surface ratio (V/S, m) and generation time (Tgt, s) in unicellular organisms (n=18): V/S=avstTgt 1.0975 (R 2 =0.815) and existence of nearly to inversely-linear relationship between the volume to surface ratio and mass-corrected metabolic rate (P*=P/M, J/s.kg) in unicellular organisms (n=18): V/S = bvsm/P* 0.8796 (R 2 =0.70). The found relationships showed that the metabolic rate and the generation time of the cells are strongly connected to their volume to surface ratio. Thus, the manipulation of volume to surface ratio leads to changes of the basal metabolic rate and generation time of the cells, and this can switch their gene programs from growth to differentiation and to apoptosis. The proposed model is based on universality of the alometric relationships simultaneously for unicellular organisms (bacteria, protozoa) and for soma cells of the multicellular organisms.