Synchronization phenomena in surface-reaction models of protocells

Area of Science:

• Origin of Life Research
• Theoretical Biology
• Protocell Modeling

Background:

• Existing protocell models often postulate synchronized growth rates between lipid containers and self-replicating molecules.
• The Los Alamos bug hypothesis provides inspiration but lacks broad applicability to diverse protocell models.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce a generalized protocell model applicable to various detailed hypotheses.
• Analyze the coupled dynamics of lipid container growth and self-replicating molecule replication.
• Investigate population dynamics and emergent properties of protocell systems.

Main Methods:

• Developed a hybrid analytical technique combining continuous-time formalism for growth and discrete maps for generational replication.
• Analyzed synchronization of growth rates between lipid containers and internal replicators.
• Compared population growth rates for protocells with different self-replicating molecules and analyzed coexistence dynamics.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that synchronized growth, leading to exponential population expansion, is an emergent property under general assumptions.
• Showed that protocells with faster-replicating molecules eventually outcompete those with slower ones, even with lower container growth contribution.
• Identified that coexistence of multiple replicators depends on replication kinetics: displacement occurs with first-order kinetics, coexistence with sublinear growth.

Conclusions:

• The generic protocell model provides a framework for understanding emergent synchronization and population dynamics.
• Replication rate is a key determinant of protocell population success.
• The findings are robust and applicable to both micelles and vesicles, as demonstrated by time rescaling.