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6 - Cellular Memory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2025

Kunihiko Kaneko
Affiliation:
Niels Bohr Institutet, Copenhagen
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Summary

Cells are capable of maintaining a long-term memory in addition to genetic information, which is generally referred to as epigenetics. In the study of memory, digital memory has been often assumed, which is understood as multistability, whereas in the cell there is another form of memory – continuous (analog), kinetic memory. Referring to the kinetic constraints of the glass theory, it is shown that a kinetic memory with slow relaxation emerges as an alternative to the conventional memories of multiple stable states. It is characterized by a slow logarithmic change with several plateaus that can be occupied during the relaxation process. If the same enzyme catalyzes a stepwise reaction, as long as the amount of such enzyme is not sufficient, the reaction process can be hindered by enzyme-limited competition, resulting in kinetic memory. A combination of catalytic reactions can create a negative correlation between the amount of substrate and enzyme in it, thereby allowing a slow relaxation process with many plateaus, where multiple states can be maintained over a long period of time.

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  • Cellular Memory
  • Kunihiko Kaneko, Niels Bohr Institutet, Copenhagen
  • Book: Universal Biology
  • Online publication: 11 November 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009575690.007
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  • Cellular Memory
  • Kunihiko Kaneko, Niels Bohr Institutet, Copenhagen
  • Book: Universal Biology
  • Online publication: 11 November 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009575690.007
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Cellular Memory
  • Kunihiko Kaneko, Niels Bohr Institutet, Copenhagen
  • Book: Universal Biology
  • Online publication: 11 November 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009575690.007
Available formats
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