Lately I have been wondering whether metabolic control analysis as developed
originally by Kascer & Burns and Heinrich & Rapoport is a genuine theory or
not. Personally I think a theory should be falsifiable in the Popper sense.
I'm quite convinced that metabolic control analysis is not falsifiable since
it holds for any (nonlinear) dynamical system under steady state conditions
(all theorems can be obtained from implicit differentiation of N*V=0).
An example:
Let's say that according to MCA the flux control coefficient of succinate
dehydrogenase on TCA flux =0.21 (obtained with a mathematical model
consisting of detailed enzyme kinetics (obtained from in vitro rate kinetic
measurements)). But when measured it turmed out to be 0.8. Does this flasify
MCA? No. It falsifies only the mathematical model!
Therefore I'm inclined to think that MCA is not a theory but a tool and
therefore its MCA and not MCT.
Can anybody think of a way to falsify MCA?
Can anybody make an argument why MCA is a theory even though not
falsifiable?
Are there examples of similar theories?
