Fisionin

Fisionin is a fictional chemical concept used in theoretical discussions of cellular division and membrane remodeling. It is not listed in chemical catalogs and has no validated experimental parameters in real-world chemistry. The term combines fission with the chemical suffix -in common to small molecules and biomolecules.

In fictional treatments, fisionin is often described as a small, lipophilic molecule with a modular ring system that can toggle between two conformations in response to redox changes. The active form is proposed to transiently associate with mitochondrial or endoplasmic reticulum membranes to facilitate fission events by altering membrane curvature or recruiting hypothetical fission machinery.

Proposed properties include a molecular weight in the range of 250–350 daltons, two to three hydrogen-bond donors, and a hydrophobic character enabling membrane insertion. In these stories, fisionin is synthetically accessible via a multi-step route from a heterocyclic core, with substituents adjusted to tune redox potential.

Applications in fiction include demonstration of controls over organelle division, design of synthetic transport systems, and as a teaching tool for discussing the balance of membrane dynamics and protein machinery. In non-fictional contexts, researchers use real regulators of fission such as dynamin and Drp1, not fisionin.

Naming note: the coinage fisionin mirrors the concept of fission and the common chemical-name ending -in but has no established ontological status in chemistry or biology.