Evolution of Proliferative Model Protocells Highly Responsive to the Environment

Area of Science:

• Origin of life studies
• Supramolecular chemistry
• Systems chemistry

Background:

• Understanding protocell reproduction is key to understanding life's origins.
• Previous models focused on compartmentalization and information replication.
• The role of self-catalysis in protocell evolution requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review constructive approaches for modeling protocell reproduction and life dynamics.
• To explore the link between structural complexity and reproductive stages in model protocells.
• To present a novel chemical system for the origin of membraneless protocells.

Main Methods:

• Formation of supramolecular catalysts (C@DNA) within giant vesicles (GV) containing cationic lipids (V).
• Observation of GV budding and division induced by local lipid formation.
• Construction of peptide droplets via liquid-liquid phase separation for membraneless protocell models.

Main Results:

• Spontaneous formation of a supramolecular catalyst (C@DNA) that produces cationic membrane lipid (V).
• GV division and proliferation driven by local lipid production and influenced by DNA length.
• Emergence of phenotypic plasticity and competitive proliferation leading to evolvable protocells.
• Demonstration of a chemical system supporting the
• droplet world
• hypothesis for membraneless protocells.

Conclusions:

• Model protocells can achieve proliferation and evolution through constructive chemical systems.
• DNA length influences proliferation frequency and induces primitive information flow.
• Membraneless protocells can arise from self-assembling peptide droplets.
• These findings offer new perspectives on the origins of life and the development of autonomous supramolecular machines.