Biocommunication And Natural Genome Editing

Description:
This is the first uniform description of all key levels of communication in the organismic kingdoms of plants, fungi, animals and bacteria based on the most recent empirical data. Biocommunication occurs on three levels (A) intraorganismic, i.e. intra- and intercellular, (B) interorganismic, between the same or related species and (C) transorganismic, between organisms which are not related. The biocommunicative approach demonstrates both that cells, tissues, organs and organisms coordinate and organize by communication processes and genetic nucleotide sequence order in cellular and non-cellular genomes is structured language-like, i.e. follow combinatorial (syntactic), context-sensitive (pragmatic) and content-specific (semantic) rules. Without sign-mediated interactions no vital functions within and between organisms can be coordinated. Exactly this feature is absent in non-living matter. Additionally the biocommunicative approach investigates natural genome editing competences of viruses. Natural genome editing from a biocommunicative perspective is competent agent-driven generation and integration of meaningful nucleotide sequences into pre-existing genomic content arrangements and the ability to (re)combine and (re)regulate them according to context-dependent (i.e. adaptational) purposes of the host organism. The biocommunicative approach is an original scientific field of investigations. Readers must be competent in basic knowledge of biology and genetics.

Table of Contents:
Preface; G. Witzany.- Acknowledgements.- 1. Introduction: Metaphysical and Post-metaphysical Relationships of Humans with Nature and Life.- Abstract.- 1.1. Metaphysical vs. Mythological Construction of Nature.- 1.1.1. Monistic-Organismic World Views.- 1.1.2. Pluralistic-Mechanistic World Views.- 1.1.3. Organic-Morphological World View.- 1.2. Delimitations against Metaphysics.- 1.2.1. Linguistic Turn.- 1.2.2. Manfred Eigens Adaptation of the Linguistic Turn to Biology.- 1.2.3. Deficiencies of Manfred Eigen's Depiction Theory of Language.- 1.2.4. Godel's 'Incompleteness Theorem' and Real-Life Languages.- 1.3. The Roots of the Idea of an auExact' Scientific Language.- 1.4. Post-Metaphysical Thinking: Pragmatic Turn.- 1.4.1. The End of Linguistic Turn.- 1.4.2. The Fundamental Status of Communicative Intersubjectivity.- 1.4.3. Evolutionary History: History of Rule-Governed Sign-Mediated Interactions.- 1.5. Biology in the Realm of a Theory of Biocommunication.- 1.6. Recent Applications of auLanguage' and auCommunication' in Biology.- 1.6.1. Biolinguistics und Bioinformatics.- 1.6.2. Biosemiotics and Biohermeneutics.- 1.6.3. Biocommunication.- 1.7. The Structural Format of the Following Chapters.- References.- 2. Plant Communication.- Abstract.- 2.1. Introduction: Multilevel Communication Competence of Plants.- 2.2. Chemical Vocabulary of Plants.- 2.2.1. Context-dependent Auxin as Neurotransmitter, Hormone, Morphogenic Sign.- 2.2.2. Hormones.- 2.2.3. RNAs.- 2.2.4. Multiply re-usable Components.- 2.3. Interpretation of Mechanical Influences.- 2.4. Transorganismic Communication.- 2.4.1. Coordination of Defense against Pests and Injury.- 2.4.2. Communicative Coordination of Symbioses.- 2.4.3. Vital Symbiosis of Plant Roots with Bacteria, Fungi and Animals.- 2.4.4. Viral Symbiotic Interactions.- 2.5. Interorganismic Communication.- 2.6. Intraorganismic Communication.- 2.6.1. Most Intercellular Communication via Plasmodesmata.- 2.6.2. (Non-self and Self) Intracellular Communication.- 2.7. Plant Communication: Plant Neurobiology and the Emergence of Mind?.- 2.8. Conclusion.- References.- 3. Communicative Competences of Honey-Bees.- Abstract.- 3.1. Introduction.- 3.2. Honey-Bees in the Colder Hemispheres.- 3.2.1. The Communication Process behind the Founding of a New Colony.- 3.2.2. The Sign-Mediated Interaction of Foraging.- 3.3. Further Features of Honey-bee Communication.- 3.3.1. The Types of Dances and Their Meanings.- 3.3.2. Forms of Communication beyond Dances.- 3.3.3. Humans can understand the Bee-Language.- 3.3.4. Dialects of the Bee-Language.- 3.4. Language and Communication in Bees: Context Determines Meaning.- 3.4.1 Foundation of a New Colony.- 3.4.2. Food Gathering.- 3.4.3. Dialects in Different Cultural Life-worlds.- References.- 4. Biocommunication of Corals.- Abstract.- 4.1. Introduction.- 4.2. Semiochemical Vocabulary of Corals.- 4.3. Interpretation of External Influences.- 4.4. Transorganismic Communication.- 4.4.1. Coordination of Defense and Regeneration.- 4.4.2. Communicative Coordination of Symbioses.- 4.5. Interorganismic Communication.- 4.6. Intraorganismic Communication.- 4.6.1. Intercellular Communication.- 4.6.2. Intracellular Communication.- 4.7. Conclusion.- References.- 5. Biocommunication of Fungal Organisms.- Abstract.- 5.1. Introduction.- 5.2. Semiochemical Vocabulary of Fungi.- 5.3. Interpretation of Abiotic Indices.- 5.4. Transorganismic Communication.- 5.5. Biocommunication among Fungal Species.- 5.6. Biocommunication within Fungal Organisms.- 5.6.1. Intercellular Communication.- 5.6.2. Intracellular Communication.- 5.6.3. Unique Relationship between Fungi and Viruses.- 5.7. Conclusion.- References.- 6. Bacteria Communication.- Abstract.- 6.1. Introduction.- 6.1.1. Biocommunicative Competences of Bacteria.- 6.1.2. Biofilm Organization: Interpretation and Coordination.- 6.2. Semiochemical Vocabulary and Communicative Goals.- 6.3. Transorganismic Communication.- 6.4. Interorganismic Communication.- 6.5. Intraorganismic Communication.- 6.5.1. Intracellular Communication.- 6.5.2. Bacterial Evolution and the Agents of Natural Genome Editing.- 6.5.3. Lytic versus Persistent Viral Life-Strategies.- 6.5.4. Bacteria as Biotic Matrix for Natural Genome Editing.- 6.6. Conclusion.- References.- 7. Natural Genome Editing Competences of Viruses and Virus-Like Agents.- Abstract.- 7.1. Introduction.- 7.2. Non-Coding Regulatory Networks.- 7.3. Major Viral Life-Strategies.- 7.4. Examples of Diverse Viral Life Strategies.- 7.4.1. Virus Escape.- 7.4.2. Wall Off.- 7.4.3. Addiction Module: Reciprocal Interaction.- 7.4.4. Multiplicity Reactivation.- 7.4.5. Sexual Isolation.- 7.5. Pre-cellular Life: Early RNA- and DNA-Viruses.- 7.6. Origin of the Eukaryotic Nucleus.- 7.7. Origin of the Adaptive Immunity.- 7.7.1. The Acquisition of a Complex New Phenotype.- 7.7.2. Ancestral Origin of an Adaptive Immune System.- 7.8. Evolution of Placental Mammals.- 7.9. Conclusion.- References.- 8. How Bacteria Escaped Selection Pressure of the Early RNA-World.- Abstract.- 8.1. Introduction.- 8.2. From Pre-Cellular RNA-Copying to RNA-Coding.- 8.3. Communal Evolution: From LUCA to LUCAs.- 8.4. Old but Good: Current Competences from an Ancient World.- References.- 9. The Viral Origins of Telomeres and Telomerases.- Abstract.- 9.1. Introduction.- 9.2. Different Molecular Syntax of Telomere Sequences.- 9.3. Telomere Replication in Most Cases by Telomerase.- 9.3.1. Reverse Transcriptases and Mobile Elements.- 9.3.2. Roles of Reverse Transcriptases in Natural Genome Editing.- 9.4. Telomeres are Characteristics of Eukarya.- 9.5. Agents of Natural Genome Editing.- 9.6. Superficial and Deep Grammar and Grammar Eukaryotic Genome Content.- 9.7. Conclusion.- References.- 10. Real Life-world of noncoding RNA-species.- Abstract.- 10.1. Introduction.- 10.2. Genetic Text-Sequences Function Similar To Any Natural Language.- 10.3. Cellular DNA Nucleotide Sequences as Viral Life Habitat.- 10.3.1. The Persistence of the Eukaryotic Nucleus.- 10.4. Viral Agents as Genetic Editors.- 10.4.1. Persistent Viral Life Strategies Change Genetic Host-Identities.- 10.4.2. Former Competing Genetic Parasites built Addiction Modules.- 10.4.2.1. The Symbiogenetic Lifestyle of Retroviruses.- 10.4.2.2. 'Highways' that also Play Important Roles in Persistence.- 10.4.2.2.1. The Kinesin/Dynein Addiction Module.- 10.5. Competent Regulators of Gene Expression.- 10.5.1. Identification and Regulation by microRNAs and siRNAs.- 10.5.2. Non-coding RNAs act as Ribonucleoproteins.- 10.5.3. Small Nuclear and Small Nucleolar RNAs.- 10.5.4. Currently Identified Roles of Small Nucleolar RNAs.- 10.5.5. The tRNA consortium.- 10.6 Recirocal Interacting Agents.- 10.7. Conclusion.- References.- 11. Outlook.- Abstract.- 11.1. From Mechanistic Biology to Biocommunication.- 11.2. Three Kinds of Signs in Biocommunication.- 11.3. Context Determines Meaning.- 11.4. Living Nature and Non-Living Nature.- 11.5. Biocommunication Defines a Biotic 'Plus'.- 11.6. The Advantages of the Biocommunicative Approach.- 11.7. Linguistic and Communicative Competences in Non-Human Nature.- 11.8. Complementary Roles of Linguistic and Communicative Competences.- 11.9. New Qualities for Future Decisions.