Thermodynamics Constrains Information Flow in Metabolic Networks

Watch a detailed lecture exploring how thermodynamics influences information flow within metabolic networks. Delve into the application of linear noise approximation (LNA) to reversible, enzyme-catalyzed reactions to understand channel capacity and its constraints. Learn how metabolite concentration perturbations interact with reactions at different states of equilibrium, and discover why thermodynamically unfavorable reactions in anabolic processes inherently limit information flow. Examine how non-reactive binding enables information transfer maintenance across varying metabolic conditions. Explore bioinformatic evidence suggesting metabolism's evolutionary adaptation to preserve information flow, and consider the implications for metabolism-first theories regarding life's origins. The presentation includes discussions on how environmental and internal signals are processed through metabolic reactions before affecting transcription and translation, providing insights into metabolism as an open thermodynamic system characterized by mass, energy, and information exchanges.