Question

Design a unicellular organism that can generate and maintain a constant temperature slightly above ambient temperature over a week that requires the consumption of oxygen. Be sure to indicate all the components needed to create heat and to regulate its level relative to the day/night fluctuations in ambient temperature. Please help.

Answer 1

There are various approaches which can be used to design an organism taking inspiration from nature. For example, plant skunk cabbage keeps the flower warm. During early week of spring when, the flower remains warmer by fairly 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit as compared to environment. The plant does so by breaking down starch that it has stored over the winter in its roots and rhizome.

Similarly, the drug Dinitrophenol (DNP) works as an uncoupler to H+ ions resulting cessation of ATP synthesis and uncoupled protons dissipate heat.

The organism can generate and maintain a constant temperature slightly above ambient temperature over a week that requires the consumption of oxygen by using a protein called Thermogenin present in Brown fat cells. Thermogenin is an uncoupler which uncouples ATP synthesis by breaking the flow of proton transport. Thus, proton starts leaking from Thermogenin instead of ATP synthase resulting in production of heat.

The organism will have Thermogenin which will uncouple the proton flow. This will be placed next to the ATP synthase so that the H+ would leak into the matrix, instead of ATP being produced, heat energy will be produced. Would require a proton translocator to relocate the protons. The proton translocator needs to open and close to ensure the organism maintains heat production by recycling protons to the intermembrane space.

As a greater number of protons will flow through Thermogenin then ATP synthase, protons will contribute in production of heat rather than ATP synthesis.