Transition to diversification by competition for resources in catalytic reaction networks

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that diversity in chemical compositions and protocell types emerges from competition for limited resources, especially under reduced resource supply, balancing inflow and consumption.

Contribution

It reveals a mechanism where resource competition drives the transition to diversity in catalytic reaction networks, a novel insight into protocell evolution.

Findings

Diversity increases as resource supply decreases.

Transition occurs when resource inflow and consumption are balanced.

Diverse cell types coexist due to resource competition.

Abstract

All life, including cells and artificial protocells, must integrate diverse molecules into a single unit in order to reproduce. Despite expected pressure to evolve a simple system with the fastest replication speed, the mechanism by which the use of the great variety of components, and the coexistence of diverse cell-types with different compositions are achieved is as yet unknown. Here we show that coexistence of such diverse compositions and cell-types is the result of competitions for a variety of limited resources. We find that a transition to diversity occurs both in chemical compositions and in protocell types, as the resource supply is decreased, when the maximum inflow and consumption of resources are balanced.