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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

In Vesiculo Synthesis of Peptide Membrane Precursors for Autonomous Vesicle Growth
Published on: June 28, 2019
[Imitational modeling of evolution: from organic macromolecules to protocell and animal cell]
Abstract:
A dynamic imitational model is developed of initial stages of cell evolution based on role of environmental cation concentration. The model is developed on our hypothesis, concerning the medium of the appearance of protocells. Could be potassium water reservoirs rather than sea salt water with its predominance of sodium salts. The necessary elements of appearance the protocells served organic molecules, code of their synthesis, and formation of macromolecules under favorable ion concentration in environment High K+ and Mg2+ concentration and bow Na+. The model is based on an assumption that one of the first stages in evolution of life was the appearance in potassium-magnesium water reservoirs of organic molecules capable for selfreplication on the basis of genetic code and formation of protocells with potassium cytoplasm. The model has demonstrated necessity of formation of cell envelope for development of the protocell. Replacement of the dominant cation in water reservoirs-potassium by sodium-required the appearance of ion-transporting devices in plasma membrane and their participation in adaptation of cells to environment. This stage of evolution was accompanied by the most important morpho-functional event--formation of the plasma membrane instead of cell envelope. The membrane provided the ion asymmetry in the cell (preservation of K+ in it) relatively to the sodium external medium for maintaining optimal intracellular medium. In the model system, predecessors of animal cells elaborated mechanism of maintenance of the potassium cytoplasm with the sodium counter-ion dominating in the environment.
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