Introduction

Fry, Michael

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-802074-6.00001-1

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Some have even commemorated diauxie as Monod’s seminal work, which led to his further studies on enzymatic adaptation. Monod’s studies then converged with genetic phage studies that, all together, contributed to the first model of genetic regulation, resulting in the award of the Nobel Prize to Monod and his colleagues Jacob and Lwoff in 1965 (Morange 1994 ; Judson 1996 ; Loison 2013 ; Carroll 2013 ; Fry 2016 ; Schwartz 2017 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This discovery, specifically in the case of the lac operon in Escherichia coli , contributed to the elaboration of a new discipline: molecular biology (Morange 1994 ; Judson 1996 ). Diauxie is an important source of their research and is widely believed to contribute to the landmark discoveries that greatly influenced the Pasteur trio leading towards their 1965 Nobel Prize achievement (Morange 1994 ; Judson 1996 ; Loison 2013 ; Carroll 2013 ; Fry 2016 ; Schwartz 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Diauxic Inhibition: Jacques Monod's Ignored Work

Blaiseau

Holmes

2021

J Hist Biol

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Diauxie is at the origin of research that led Jacques Monod (1910–1976), François Jacob (1920–2013), and André Lwoff (1902–1994) to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1965 for their description of the first genetic regulatory model. Diauxie is a term coined by Jacques Monod in 1941 in his doctoral dissertation that refers to microbial growth in two phases. In this article, we first examine Monod’s thesis to demonstrate how and why Monod interpreted diauxie as a phenomenon of enzyme inhibition or suppression of adaptive enzymes. We also briefly investigate prior enzyme suppression studies, before Monod’s work, which indicate that he is the first person to observe diauxic growth. Second, we analyse Monod’s post-thesis publications throughout his scientific career, revealing that diauxic inhibition was a significant part of Monod’s scientific activities and greatly fascinated Monod until the end of his life. Paradoxically, Monod’s work and interest on diauxic inhibition are still neglected in historical recounts, focused mostly on Monod’s enzymatic adaptation studies. Indeed, we uncovered a statement by Monod’s colleague, Lwoff, who transformed a quotation from Monod by replacing the word phenomenon with enzymatic adaptation, which we believe has influenced historians. Finally, we offer hypotheses to explain why Lwoff altered Monod’s statement.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diauxic Inhibition: Jacques Monod's Ignored Work

Blaiseau

Holmes

2021

J Hist Biol

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“…Eukaryotic cells and their viruses posed, however, a mystery since their pre-mRNA nuclear transcripts, (so-called heterogenous nuclear RNA; hnRNA) were larger by up to tenfold than the cytoplasmic mRNA molecules (Hiatt, 1962 ; Scherrer & Darnell, 1962 ). Experimental studies of the molecular structure of hnRNA and of cytoplasmic mRNA demonstrated their respective precursor-product relationships but did not answer the riddle of their different sizes [reviewed in (Fry, 2016a ) pp.495–505]. The two independent respective research groups of Phillip Sharp and Richard Roberts, 55 concomitantly solved this enigma by showing that genes of human adenovirus, (and later of eukaryotic cells) included transcribed coding segments (‘exons”) and non-coding intervening sequences (‘introns’).…”

Section: Normal Science Activities Engendered Other Unanticipated Mod...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The two independent respective research groups of Phillip Sharp and Richard Roberts, 55 concomitantly solved this enigma by showing that genes of human adenovirus, (and later of eukaryotic cells) included transcribed coding segments (‘exons”) and non-coding intervening sequences (‘introns’). Following transcription of a complete gene, the hnRNA transcripts were reduced in length by removal of their introns whereas the exons were rejoined to form shorter translatable cytoplasmic mRNA molecules, [(Berget et al, 1977 ; Chow et al, 1977 ); reviewed in (Fry, 2016a ) pp. 505–517].…”

Section: Normal Science Activities Engendered Other Unanticipated Mod...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The discovery of archaea: from observed anomaly to consequential restructuring of the phylogenetic tree

Fry

2024

HPLS

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Observational and experimental discoveries of new factual entities such as objects, systems, or processes, are major contributors to some advances in the life sciences. Yet, whereas discovery of theories was extensively deliberated by philosophers of science, very little philosophical attention was paid to the discovery of factual entities. This paper examines historical and philosophical aspects of the experimental discovery by Carl Woese of archaea, prokaryotes that comprise one of the three principal domains of the phylogenetic tree. Borrowing Kuhn’s terminology, this discovery of a major biological entity was made during a ‘normal science’ project of building molecular taxonomy for prokaryotes. Unexpectedly, however, an observed anomaly instigated the discovery of archaea. Substantiation of the existence of the new archaeal entity and consequent reconstruction of the phylogenetic tree prompted replacement of a long-held model of a prokarya and eukarya bipartite tree of life by a new model of a tripartite tree comprising of bacteria, archaea, and eukarya. This paper explores the history and philosophical implications of the progression of Woese’s project from normal science to anomaly-instigated model-changing discovery. It is also shown that the consequential discoveries of RNA splicing and of ribozymes were similarly prompted by unexpected irregularities during normal science activities. It is thus submitted that some discoveries of factual biological entities are triggered by unforeseen observational or experimental anomalies.

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