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Science at the Edge
Friday April 4, 2014
11:30am, 1400 Biomedical Physical Science Building
Evolution, Gap Junctions, Stem Cells, Multi-cellularity and the Universe Becoming Conscious of Itself:
A Biological Rosetta Stone View
of Human Health and Disease
James E. Trosko
Michigan State University
Dept. of Pediatrics/Human Development
Center for Integrative Toxicology
Abstract
The changing paleo-physics and -chemistry of the early earth led to single celled organisms that metabolized sugar via glycolysis and survived via symmetrical cell division and occasional
mutations [1]. With the appearance of oxygen-producing phytoplanktons, the single cell organism, the mitochondrion, symbiotically fused with a primitive cell to form the first multi-cellular organism, which could metabolize glucose via oxidative phosphorylation.
Adherent cells, brought about because of the synthesis of collagen-type molecules which could only occur in the presence of oxygen, developed new strategies for survival, besides just symmetrical cell proliferation. New genes and phenotypes which now appeared
biological evolution included : (a) growth control, (b) differentiation, (c)
programmed cell death; (d) senescence; ( e) regulation of patterns of gene expression-“epigenesis”- of the total genome; (f)
germline and somatic stem cells; (g) asymmetrical cell division; and (h)
anoxic stem cell niches. The development of the normal human multi-celled organism, starting from a single fertilized egg to the mature, reproductive and self-aware beings of over 100 trillion cells, consisting of 200 different cell types and having
three major functional cells- (adult, organ-specific stem cells; progenitor derivative cells; and
their terminally differentiated daughters), could only come about by a delicate homeostatic and cybernetic integrated system of
extra-, intra- and gap junctional inter-cellular communication. During the course of evolution, dramatic changes in both the physical-chemical environments, a new phenotypic property emerged, namely, primate consciousness and human “consciousness
of their consciousness”, which produced “cultures” and cultural evolution. Hence, the “Universe becoming conscious of itself”. Since cultural evolution changes at “laser-speed” compared to the changes of “glacier speeds” of biological evolution, our
ability to adapt to maintain health, particularly in nutrition and diets, is contributing to the current global health crises. Any disruption of the three forms of cell communication mechanisms by genetic or environmental (epigenetic) factors, particularly
during embryonic, fetal and neonatal periods, could lead to either embryonic/fetal death or birth defects. In addition, any alteration of organ-specific stem cells during these development periods could lead to alteration of risks to diseases later in life
(i.e., the Barker hypothesis [2,3]. Chronic disruption of these signaling mechanisms in the adult organs could also lead to several kinds of chronic, stem cell-based diseases.[ 4,5]
[1] Saul, J.M. A Geologist Speculates. Les 3 Colonnes, Paris, 2014.
[2] Barker, D.J. “The developmental origins of adult disease”.
J Am Coll. Nutr. 236: 588s-595s, 2004.
[3] Barker, D. J. “Epidemiologist who traced roots of chronic disease to early life”.
Nature 592: 304, 2013.
[4] Trosko, J.E. and Kang, K.-S., “Evolution of energy metabolism, stem cells and cancer stem cells: How the Warburg and Barker hypotheses might be linked”.
Intl. J. Stem Cells 5: 39- 56, 2012.
[5] Trosko, J.E.
“Global health crises caused by the collision of biological and cultural evolution: Pre-natal influences on acute and chronic diseases later in life.” Planet at Risk, in press.
To meet with the speaker please contact R. Ghosh ([log in to unmask])
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Kim Crosslan
Secretary
Undergraduate Program Office
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Michigan State University
Biomedical Physical Sciences Bldg.
567 Wilson Road, room 1312
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-884-5531
Office hours: M-F 8:45 – 5:15p