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Autocatalytic sets in a partitioned biochemical network.

Joshua I Smith1, Mike Steel1, Wim Hordijk2

  • 1Biomathematics Research Centre, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Journal of Systems Chemistry
|June 3, 2014
PubMed
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Autocatalytic sets, crucial for life's origin, can form in partitioned systems like peptide-RNA worlds. This robustness suggests alternative pathways for early chemical evolution beyond the RNA world hypothesis.

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Area of Science:

  • Theoretical chemistry
  • Origin of life research
  • Systems chemistry

Background:

  • RAF theory provides insights into autocatalytic sets in polymer networks.
  • Previous work focused on single, collectively autocatalytic sets.
  • This study extends RAF theory to partitioned catalytic networks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the robustness of autocatalytic sets in partitioned systems.
  • To explore the implications for early chemical evolution models.
  • To examine the role of peptide-nucleic acid interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical modeling using RAF theory.
  • Computational simulations of catalytic polymer networks.
  • Kinetic modeling of reaction rates.

Main Results:

  • Autocatalytic sets are robust to partitioned network structures.
  • Autocatalytic sets can form even with non-polymeric molecules and inhibition.
  • Identifying autocatalytic sets in kinetic systems is NP-complete.

Conclusions:

  • A peptide-RNA world is a feasible alternative for the origin of life.
  • Partitioned systems can spontaneously develop autocatalytic sets.
  • Experimental findings challenging the RNA world are supported by this theoretical work.