pleiotypic, a. Biol.
(plaɪəʊˈtɪpɪk)
[f. pleio- + type n.1 + -ic.]
Pertaining to the process whereby a single stimulus can elicit multiple unrelated responses from a living cell.
| 1971 Nature New Biol. 7 Apr. 162/1 Gordon Tomkins has proposed that mammalian cells may have a ‘pleiotypic’ control system to coordinate changes in the overall levels of synthesis and degradation of RNA and proteins. Ibid. 163/2 Dr. G. M. Tomkins (University of California, Medical Center, San Francisco) drew attention to a possible similarity between what he terms pleiotypic effects in mammalian cells and stringent control exhibited by bacteria deprived of nutrients. 1972 Science 5 May 486/1 The processes which have thus far been found to be under pleiotypic control are uridine uptake.., RNA synthesis.., polysome formation [etc.]. |