Reproduction of a Protocell by Replication of Minority Molecule in Catalytic Reaction Network

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that protocells can naturally reproduce through a growth-division process driven by the slow replication of a minority molecule within a catalytic network, shedding light on early life development.

Contribution

It shows that protocell reproduction can emerge from simple catalytic networks with minority molecules, highlighting a potential mechanism for the origin of life.

Findings

Protocell division occurs when a minority molecule is slowly replicated.

Reproduction is synchronized with molecule replication.

Protocells are robust against parasitic molecule invasion.

Abstract

For understanding the origin of life, it is essential to explain the development of a compartmentalized structure, which undergoes growth and division, from a set of chemical reactions. In this study, a hypercycle with two chemicals that mutually catalyze each other is considered in order to show that the reproduction of a protocell with a growth-division process naturally occurs when the replication speed of one chemical is considerably slower than that of the other chemical. It is observed that the protocell divides after a minority molecule is replicated at a slow synthesis rate, and thus, a synchrony between the reproduction of a cell and molecule replication is achieved. The robustness of such protocells against the invasion of parasitic molecules is also demonstrated.