Entropic regulation of dynamical metabolic processes

Abstract

AbstractLife depends on the input of energy, either directly provided by sunlight or in form of high-energy matter. The rules and conditions for the conversion of chemical or electromagnetic energy into living structure and all the processes related with life are governed by the laws of thermodynamics. Hence, to understand the potential and the limitations of cell growth and metabolism, it is unavoidable to take these laws into account. During the last years, systems biology has developed many mathematical models aiming to describe steady states and dynamic behavior of cellular processes in qualitative and quantitative terms. The validity of the model predictions depends strongly on whether the model formulation is in agreement with the laws of physics, chemistry, and, specifically, thermodynamics.Here, we review basic principles of thermodynamics for equilibrium and non-equilibrium processes as well as for closed and open systems as far as they concern metabolic processes, especially in their dynamics. We illustrate the application of thermodynamic laws for some practical cases that are currently intensively studied in systems and computational biology. Specifically, we will discuss the concept of entropy production and energy dissipation for isolated and open systems and its interpretation for the feasibility of biological processes, especially metabolism. We demonstrate that steady states of metabolic systems cannot show energy dissipation, while in dynamical modes entropy of the system can be both increased or decreased, depending on the type of perturbation and the kinetics of the reaction system. These findings are very important for biotechnological processes where energy dissipation should be limited, but also for analysis of healthy and diseased cellular metabolism.