A simplified kinetic model for an autopoietic synthesis of micelles

Chizmadzhew, Y.A.; Maestro, M.; Mavelli, Fabio

doi:10.1016/0009-2614(94)00689-x

Cited by 16 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Luisi’s ester hydrolysis reactions have been modeled by several groups 123. Mavelli128 and Coveney129, 130 treated the reaction as classical micelle catalysis, while Buhse et al 131. 132 modeled the reaction as phase transfer catalysis (Scheme ).…”

Section: Physical Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms of Autocatalysis

Bissette¹,

Fletcher²

2013

Angew Chem Int Ed

358

268

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Self-replication is a fundamental concept. The idea of an entity that can repeatedly create more of itself has captured the imagination of many thinkers from von Neumann to Vonnegut. Beyond the sciences and science fiction, autocatalysis has found currency in economics and language theory, and has raised ethical fears memorably summed up by the "gray goo" trope. Autocatalysis is central to the propagation of life and intrinsic to many other biological processes. This includes the modern conception of evolution, which has radically altered humanity's image of itself. Organisms can be thought of as imperfect self-replicators which produce closely-related species, allowing for selection and evolution. Hence, any consideration of self-replication raises one of the most profound questions of all: what is life? Minimal self-replicating systems have been studied with the aim of understanding the principles underlying living systems, allowing us to refine our concepts of biological fitness and chemical stability, self-organization and emergence, and ultimately to discover how chemistry may become biology.

show abstract

Section: Physical Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms of Autocatalysis

Bissette¹,

Fletcher²

2013

Angew Chem Int Ed

358

268

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…a reaction mechanism with all the required parameters (kinetic constants, permeability coefficients, initial concentrations), the deterministic analysis can be done by numerically solving the ordinary differential equation set (ODES) or by analytically integrating an approximated reduced set of differential equations. Examples of the latter approach can be found in our previous works where self-reproducing micelles [ 20 ] and vesicles [ 21 ] were studied. In order to take into account the stochastic effects, some years ago we developed a Monte Carlo program [ 22 ] based on the Gillespie's direct method [ 23 ] designed for coupling amphiphile self-assembly [ 24 ] with chemical reactions and hydrophobic solute absorption [ 25 ] in a homogeneous well stirred macroscopic reactor.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stochastic simulations of minimal cells: the Ribocell model

Mavelli

2012

BMC Bioinformatics

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundOver the last two decades, lipid compartments (liposomes, lipid-coated droplets) have been extensively used as in vitro "minimal" cell models. In particular, simple and complex biomolecular reactions have been carried out inside these self-assembled micro- and nano-sized compartments, leading to the synthesis of RNA and functional proteins inside liposomes. Despite this experimental progress, a detailed physical understanding of the underlying dynamics is missing. In particular, the combination of solute compartmentalization, reactivity and stochastic effects has not yet been clarified. A combination of experimental and computational approaches can reveal interesting mechanisms governing the behavior of micro compartmentalized systems, in particular by highlighting the intrinsic stochastic diversity within a population of "synthetic cells".MethodsIn this context, we have developed a computational platform called ENVIRONMENT suitable for studying the stochastic time evolution of reacting lipid compartments. This software - which implements a Gillespie Algorithm - is an improvement over a previous program that simulated the stochastic time evolution of homogeneous, fixed-volume, chemically reacting systems, extending it to more general conditions in which a collection of similar such systems interact and change over the course of time. In particular, our approach is focused on elucidating the role of randomness in the time behavior of chemically reacting lipid compartments, such as micelles, vesicles or micro emulsions, in regimes where random fluctuations due to the stochastic nature of reacting events can lead an open system towards unexpected time evolutions.ResultsThis paper analyses the so-called Ribocell (RNA-based cell) model. It consists in a hypothetical minimal cell based on a self-replicating minimum RNA genome coupled with a self-reproducing lipid vesicle compartment. This model assumes the existence of two ribozymes, one able to catalyze the conversion of molecular precursors into lipids and the second able to replicate RNA strands. The aim of this contribution is to explore the feasibility of this hypothetical minimal cell. By deterministic kinetic analysis, the best external conditions to observe synchronization between genome self-replication and vesicle membrane reproduction are determined, while its robustness to random fluctuations is investigated using stochastic simulations, and then discussed.

show abstract

“…[126] Durch Verwendung dieser Kriterien kçnnten wir feststellen, ob ein synthetisches System ein lebendes oder kein lebendes System ist. [123] Mavelli [128] und Cove-Schema 48. [119] Die Esterhydrolysereaktionen nach Luisi wurden von mehreren Gruppen modelliert.…”

Section: Selbstreproduzierende Micellenunclassified

“…[119] Die Esterhydrolysereaktionen nach Luisi wurden von mehreren Gruppen modelliert. [123] Mavelli [128] und Cove- Autokatalyse ney [129,130] betrachteten die Reaktion als klassische micellare Katalyse, wogegen Buhse et al [131,132] Diese Ergebnisse kçnnen als experimentelle Bestätigung des "Lipid-Welt"-Modells dienen, das postuliert, dass Populationen selbstreproduzierender Lipidaggregate bei der Entstehung des Lebens eine Rolle gespielt haben. [137] Nach diesem Modell sind unterschiedliche Autokatalyseeffizienzen in Abhängigkeit von der Lipidzusammensetzung die Grundlage der präbiotischen Selektion -eine Theorie, die überwiegend in theoretischen Studien getestet wurde.…”

Section: Selbstreproduzierende Micellenunclassified

Mechanismen der Autokatalyse

Bissette

Fletcher

2013

Angewandte Chemie

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Selbstreplikation ist ein fundamentales Konzept. Die Vorstellung von einer Entität, die in wiederholender Weise mehr von sich selbst erzeugen kann, hat die Phantasie vieler Denker von Neumann bis Vonnegut angeregt. Über die Wissenschaft und Science‐Fiction hinaus hat das Konzept der Autokatalyse auch in die Ökonomie und Sprachtheorie Eingang gefunden – und es hat Ängste wie etwa vor “gray goo” (graue Schmiere) geschürt. Die Autokatalyse ist von zentraler Bedeutung für die Ausbreitung des Lebens und bildet die Grundlage vieler anderer biologischer Prozesse, einschließlich des modernen Konzepts der Evolution. Organismen können als unvollkommene “Selbstreplikatoren” betrachtet werden, die nah verwandte Spezies erzeugen und auf diese Weise Auslese und Evolution ermöglichen. Folglich führt jegliche Betrachtung der Selbstreplikation zu einer der tiefgreifendsten Fragen überhaupt: Was ist Leben? Selbstreplizierende Minimalsysteme wurden mit dem Ziel untersucht, die zugrundeliegenden Prinzipien lebender Systemen zu begreifen, um damit unsere Konzepte der biologischen Fitness und chemischen Stabilität, der Selbstorganisation und Emergenz weiterzuentwickeln und letztendlich herausfinden zu können, wie aus Chemie Biologie werden konnte.

show abstract

A simplified kinetic model for an autopoietic synthesis of micelles

Cited by 16 publications

References 6 publications

Mechanisms of Autocatalysis

Mechanisms of Autocatalysis

Stochastic simulations of minimal cells: the Ribocell model

Mechanismen der Autokatalyse

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About