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Mutagenesis and Functional Selection Protocols for Directed Evolution of Proteins in E. coli
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Selection for replicases in protocells.

Ginestra Bianconi1, Kun Zhao, Irene A Chen

  • 1School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.

Plos Computational Biology
|May 15, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Protocells enable the selection of self-replicating molecules called replicases. By confining replication within protocells, natural selection can favor these beneficial replicases, unlike in a well-mixed environment.

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Area of Science:

  • Origin of life studies
  • Systems chemistry
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Spontaneous self-replication is a key step in abiogenesis.
  • Replicases enhance molecular replication but are not favored by natural selection in well-mixed systems.
  • Protocells are compartmentalized structures that may have played a role in early life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if protocells can provide a mechanism for selecting replicase molecules.
  • To understand how protocell division and replicase activity interact.
  • To determine the conditions and error thresholds for replicase selection within protocells.

Main Methods:

  • Modeling of nucleotide sequence replication within protocells.
  • Simulation of protocell division and its effect on population structure.
  • Analysis of replicase abundance under varying conditions of activity and division.

Main Results:

  • Protocell encapsulation allows for the selection of replicases, even with neutral or slightly deleterious effects on non-replicase sequences.
  • Specific protocell division mechanisms can significantly increase replicase frequency.
  • The error threshold for maintaining replicase function within protocells was calculated.

Conclusions:

  • Protocells offer a viable evolutionary pathway for the emergence of catalytic molecules like replicases.
  • Compartmentalization is crucial for overcoming the limitations of natural selection in early molecular evolution.
  • This model provides insights into the transition from non-living matter to self-sustaining life.