title: High local concentration: a fundamental strategy of life.
abstract: Local increase in concentration is a basic principle of transcriptional control. Closer inspection reveals that it is a major force governing all interactions within and between proteins and DNA. Local increase in concentration acts on all levels of organization of living matter. The structures and functions of two central molecules of life-the linear polymers DNA and protein-are particularly illuminating examples. Local increase in concentration leads to cooperative or competitive interactions between molecules. It is an important principle of life.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Sciences Research Center Alexander Fleming, 34 Fleming Street, GR-16672 Vari, Greece. oehler@fleming.gr
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oehler
authors.forename: Benno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Müller-Hill
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007763:Lac Operon; D019369:Life; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes; D011506:Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases