INTRODUCTION: Oxygen is a major metabolic substrate and also a signaling molecule directly detected by oxygen gasoreceptors (eg., DosP phosphodiesterase in E. coli, FixL kinase in R. meliloti, GCY-35 soluble guanylate cyclase in C. elegans). But biology textbooks lack precise terms to describe oxygen-based inter-organismal signaling between oxygen-producing and aerobic organisms. To address this gap, I recently proposed the concept of gasocrine signaling, which encompasses all signaling mediated by gaseous molecules and gasoreceptors within and between cells, organisms, and even abiotic factors. Despite the fundamental importance of gaseous molecules for cells, cell theory lacks a gas-centric hypothesis.

AIM(S): The goal was to develop a new hypothesis about gases that would supplement the cell theory.

METHOD(S): Scientific literature on gas signaling and gas-sensing proteins in diverse organisms was read critically. Diverse proteins that are allosterically regulated and competitively inhibited by gas binding were considered potential gasoreceptors and proto-gasoreceptors, respectively.

RESULTS: Proteins such as hemoglobin were proposed as oxygen or carbon dioxide gasoreceptors. To date, no gas-sensing nucleic acids have been reported; hence, the concept of gas-sensing riboceptors was proposed. A gasocrine hypothesis—that all cells require gasocrine signaling—was proposed. Several potential experiments to falsify this hypothesis were also proposed. A perspective manuscript was prepared and published in the Polish Biochemical Society journal - Acta Biochimica Polonica journal (https://doi.org/10.3389/abp.2025.15465).

CONCLUSIONS: If the gasocrine hypothesis withstand falsification, it will supplement cell theory. It will also provide a novel framework for understanding fundamental biological principles, cellular and organismal communication, and the role of abiotic factors. Furthermore, it will establish the foundation for the emerging field of gasocrinology, which will be critical in the context of a changing environment.