Information optimality and the geometry of chromatin.

Abstract

We review the use of optimality in the investigation of the large-scale geometry of the DNA-protein complex of chromatin using a generalized information principle. Considering systems level optimality requires that not only should all sub-parts of a natural process be optimal, but this also be true for the unfolding of higher recursive levels that include symbolic abstractions. An information-theoretic geometry of the genetic code data, together with the principle of maximum entropy, explains the variation in the codon groupings that map into different amino acids and explains its underlying self-similar structure. This analysis is reviewed for the investigation of the fundamental geometry underlying physical and biological space, which has a dimensionality of e as it gets reflected in aggregates associated with genomic DNA. The analysis is consistent with the fractal dimension of chromatin, but other non-optimal structures with lower dimensionality also exist.