Abstract:
:The exact nature of the mechanism that triggers initiation of chromosome replication in the best understood of all organisms, Escherichia coli, remains mysterious. Here, I suggest that this mechanism evolved in response to the problems that arise if chromosome replication does not occur. E. coli is now known to be highly structured. This leads me to propose a mechanism for initiation of replication based on the dynamics of large assemblies of molecules and macromolecules termed hyperstructures. In this proposal, hyperstructures and their constituents are put into two classes, non-equilibrium and equilibrium, that spontaneously separate and that are appropriate for life in either good or bad conditions. Maintaining the right ratio(s) of non-equilibrium to equilibrium hyperstructures is therefore a major challenge for cells. I propose that this maintenance entails a major transfer of material from equilibrium to non-equilibrium hyperstructures once per cell and I further propose that this transfer times the cell cycle. More specifically, I speculate that the dialogue between hyperstructures involves the structuring of water and the condensation of cations and that one of the outcomes of ion condensation on ribosomal hyperstructures and decondensation from the origin hyperstructure is the separation of strands at oriC responsible for triggering initiation of replication. The dualism hypothesis that comes out of these speculations may help integrate models for initiation of replication, chromosome segregation and cell division with the 'prebiotic ecology' scenario of the origins of life.
journal_name
Med Hypothesesjournal_title
Medical hypothesesauthors
Norris Vdoi
10.1016/j.mehy.2011.02.002subject
Has Abstractpub_date
2011-05-01 00:00:00pages
706-16issue
5eissn
0306-9877issn
1532-2777pii
S0306-9877(11)00053-3journal_volume
76pub_type
杂志文章abstract::Salt is a major mineral element that plays fundamental roles in health and disease. Excessive salt intake is a major cause of hypertension, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Miscarriage and preeclampsia are the most common pregnancy complications with multiple etiological factors, including inflammatory and autoimmun...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2016.02.003
更新日期:2016-04-01 00:00:00
abstract::The authors sought to establish whether maternal dietary methanol during pregnancy was a factor in the etiology of autism spectrum disorders. A seven item questionnaire was given to women who had given birth to at least one child after 1984. The subjects were solicited from a large primary care practice and several in...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2015.06.025
更新日期:2015-10-01 00:00:00
abstract::Ergothioneine is believed not to be synthesized by man but it accumulates to high concentrations in some mammalian cells as a result of dietary intake. Ergothioneine is known to chelate divalent metal ions with high affinity. Other substances which are potent chelators of divalent metal ions such as diphenylthiocarbaz...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(82)90137-2
更新日期:1982-08-01 00:00:00
abstract::This hypothesis named Salerian Addictive Potential (SAP) suggests that the addictive potency of any substance may be calculated with an algebraic equation of A=E/T(max)xt(1/2), where A is the addictive potency, E represents the euphoric potency, T(max) is the time to reach peak plasma concentration, and t(1/2) is the ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2010.01.008
更新日期:2010-06-01 00:00:00
abstract::Tinnitus and temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD) are among the most common complaints encountered by physicians. Though the relationship between tinnitus and TMJD has attracted great interest during the past several years, theories attempting to explain this association are still few and inconsistent. Conceivab...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/s0306-9877(03)00194-4
更新日期:2003-10-01 00:00:00
abstract::The theory presented herewith provides a unified explanation for neoplasia and teratogenesis, both regarded here as stem cell disorders. Proliferating cells in the organism form two mutually exclusive classes, immortal stem cells and transitional cells whose life span is limited. Any lasting change in the organism e.g...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(85)90013-1
更新日期:1985-03-01 00:00:00
abstract::During the last 10 years, we have witnessed major progress in the genetic study of schizophrenia, but gene-mapping efforts have been hampered by the complex mode of inheritance and the likelihood of multiple genes of small effect. In view of the complexity, it may be instructive to understand the biological bases for ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2007.02.003
更新日期:2007-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Intestinal dysbiosis refers to an imbalance in the intestinal flora. The concept of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a condition of abnormal proliferation of the small intestine microbiota, has been proposed as a form of small intestine dysbiosis. In Parkinson's disease patients, weight loss and metabolic...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109436
更新日期:2020-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Delayed healing and nonunions of bone fracture are critical problems in orthopedic surgery. Electrical stimulation has been used as a therapeutic method for enhancing bone healing for a long time. Despite unanimous clinical success, the underlying mechanism concerning bone tissue in response to electrical stimulation ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2007.05.044
更新日期:2008-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::The origin and initiating features of PBC remain obscure despite decades of study. However, recent papers have demonstrated loss of canals of Hering (CoH) to be the earliest histologic change in liver biopsy specimens from patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). We posit that CoH loss prior to significant inf...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109680
更新日期:2020-03-16 00:00:00
abstract::Exercise is thought to have considerable potential as a preventive for osteoporosis. We critically examined 27 studies that address the prophylactic role of exercise in osteoporosis. The results from both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies showed that differences in bone mass were more pronounced in the axial sk...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(89)90118-7
更新日期:1989-09-01 00:00:00
abstract::No survival profit has been achieved for patients with disseminated prostate cancer since hormonal therapy was introduced. It is proposed that dissemination of rare prostatic cancer stem cells may lead to metastatic disease and that resistance of these cells to androgen ablation makes them responsible for failure of c...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2008.06.021
更新日期:2008-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::A case-control study was conducted in order to test the hypothesis that a reduced exposure to human seminal factors in the early reproductive life of women is a risk factor in breast cancer. The relative risk of exposure to the hypothetical semen-factor deficiency is 4.7 times greater for breast-cancer patients than f...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(78)90051-8
更新日期:1978-03-01 00:00:00
abstract::The artificial pancreas requires fast and reliable glucose measurements. The peritoneal space has shown promising results, and in one of our studies we detected glucose changes in the peritoneal space already at the same time as in the femoral artery. The peritoneal lining is highly vascularised, covered by a single l...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109318
更新日期:2019-11-01 00:00:00
abstract::Cameron and Pauling have reported large survival increases in terminal cancer patients treated with Vitamin C. Their trials, which have been criticised because not based on random, double-blind principles, are reviewed here using a broad inductive method that relies on diverse data of varying quality. Conclusions are ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 临床试验,杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(82)90089-5
更新日期:1982-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Rett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked dominant postnatal severe and disabling neurodevelopmental disorder which is the second most common cause for genetic mental retardation in girls and the first pervasive disorder with a known genetic basis. The syndrome is primarily caused by mutations in the Methyl CpG binding prote...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2010.09.015
更新日期:2011-02-01 00:00:00
abstract::There must be pathophysiological reason why "cold" viruses like SARS-CoV-2 show proclivity to nasal cavity, oral cavity, pharyngeal cavity and upper airways which have lower temperature than core body temperature. Henceforth, facemasks' "therapeutic" role against SARS-CoV-2 must be explored because personal "therapeut...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 信件
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109855
更新日期:2020-10-01 00:00:00
abstract::The amino acid threonine contains two chiral carbons and thus can exist in four possible conformations. However, only a single conformation (2S, 3R) of threonine is incorporated in proteins by the cellular translation material. The conformation at the alpha carbon (carbon 2) is the same as that of the other amino acid...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1054/mehy.2000.1231
更新日期:2001-04-01 00:00:00
abstract::Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is reported to occur frequently after all types especially cardiac surgery in elderly patients. It can be short-term or long-term and some cases even develop into Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although multi-risk factors associated with POCD have been identified, the etiology and...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2011.02.010
更新日期:2011-05-01 00:00:00
abstract::Chlorination of potable water supplies high in organics may yield carcinogenic compounds such as trihalomethanes. Chlorine dioxide has been proposed as an alternative disinfectant to chlorine. However, chlorine dioxide is a strong oxidant that forms significant amounts of chlorite when added to potable water supplies,...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(78)90017-8
更新日期:1978-09-01 00:00:00
abstract::We were interested whether fluorine, at the concentrations regarded as normal, can play a role in PCOS pathogenesis. The effect was not described in PCOS. Women with PCOS were diagnosed according to Rotterdam's criteria. The average age of 40 examined women with PCOS was 26.3 ± 5.5 years, BMI-29.16 ± 0.8, WHR-0.91 ± 0...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2019.05.007
更新日期:2019-07-01 00:00:00
abstract::Over-proliferation of SMC (smooth muscle cell) is one characteristics of atherosclerosis. One well accepted mechanism is that the decrease of ECs (endothelial cells) induced by over apoptosis leads to endothelial dysfunction, which in turn results in over-proliferation of SMC. Obviously, the mechanism works after endo...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2006.07.037
更新日期:2007-01-01 00:00:00
abstract::Severe affective and behavioral dysregulation, labeled as severe mood dysregulation (SMD), is a widely spread phenomenon among adolescent psychiatric patients. This phenotype constitutes severe impairment across multiple settings, including various symptoms, such as non-episodic anger, mood instability, and hyperarous...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2011.07.019
更新日期:2011-10-01 00:00:00
abstract::Depression is often associated with insulin resistance, owing to cortisol overproduction; conversely, many studies suggest that diabetics are at increased risk for depression. Recent evidence indicates that insulin is transported through the blood-brain barrier and influences brain function via widely distributed insu...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(94)90075-2
更新日期:1994-10-01 00:00:00
abstract::Melasma is an acquired disorder of pigmentation that presents with asymptomatic symmetric darkening of the face. The pathogenesis of this condition is multifactorial and influenced by several factors including female sex hormones, genetic predisposition and ultraviolet light exposure. The management of melasma is usua...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2017.01.020
更新日期:2017-04-01 00:00:00
abstract::Chronic adult periodontitis (CAP) is a common disease of the supporting tissues of teeth, and is a major cause of tooth loss. This disease is distinguished from more rare rapidly progressing forms of periodontitis, in which a variety of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) defects have been identified. PMN d...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(91)90008-m
更新日期:1991-12-01 00:00:00
abstract::It is postulated that the induction of immunological tolerance to chemical carcinogens is due to the penetration of carcinogens and its albumin and DNA adducts from the maternal organism into the embryo. Maternal serum lgG-antibodies to carcinogens promote the transportation of carcinogens and adducts into the embryo ...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1054/mehy.2000.1393
更新日期:2001-07-01 00:00:00
abstract::The structural rearrangement of human sheathed capillaries in congestive splenomegaly has been considered. In abnormal spleens the external diameter and wall thickness were decreased, while the internal diameter was increased. Moreover, the total length and the absolute number of sheathed capillaries were increased, t...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(95)90266-x
更新日期:1995-05-01 00:00:00
abstract::Class II malocclusion is one of the most common orthodontic problems. The main aetiology of Class II malocclusion is mandibular retrognathia. A variety of functional appliances have been used to stimulate mandibular growth in adolescence, however, the effects remain unsatisfactory. Therefore, new approaches are in nee...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2008.08.029
更新日期:2009-03-01 00:00:00
abstract::There are differences in male and female height throughout the growth period. Utilising reference standard height charts we calculated the difference in male and female height as a function of age. A triphasic relationship was observed with statistically significant peaks (males greater than females) at 8 months and 1...
journal_title:Medical hypotheses
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1016/0306-9877(87)90122-8
更新日期:1984-07-01 00:00:00