The generality of transient compartmentalization and its associated error thresholds

Blokhuis, Alex; Nghe, Philippe; Peliti, Luca; Lacoste, David

doi:10.1016/j.jtbi.2019.110110

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Through these processes, genetic molecules in each compartment can be randomly redistributed into new compartments, by which functional genetic molecules could be separated from parasitic molecules if the number of parasites is not large compared with the number of newly formed compartments. Previous studies that used water-in-oil emulsions or theoretical models demonstrated the sustained replication of genetic molecules with the appearance of parasites through all three processes: cycles of disruption and formation (Figure 3a) [14,[40][41][42], fusion and fission (Figure 3b) [13,15,20,43,44], and growth and division (Figure 3c) [29,[45][46][47] of compartments. caused by freezing and thawing (F-T) through day-night temperature cycling, could induce uptake of substrates.…”

Section: Compartments With Boundariesmentioning

confidence: 84%

Primitive Compartmentalization for the Sustainable Replication of Genetic Molecules

Mizuuchi

Ichihashi

2021

Life

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Sustainable replication and evolution of genetic molecules such as RNA are likely requisites for the emergence of life; however, these processes are easily affected by the appearance of parasitic molecules that replicate by relying on the function of other molecules, while not contributing to their replication. A possible mechanism to repress parasite amplification is compartmentalization that segregates parasitic molecules and limits their access to functional genetic molecules. Although extent cells encapsulate genomes within lipid-based membranes, more primitive materials or simple geological processes could have provided compartmentalization on early Earth. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the types and roles of primitive compartmentalization regarding sustainable replication of genetic molecules, especially from the perspective of the prevention of parasite replication. In addition, we also describe the ability of several environments to selectively accumulate longer genetic molecules, which could also have helped select functional genetic molecules rather than fast-replicating short parasitic molecules.

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Section: Compartments With Boundariesmentioning

confidence: 84%

Primitive Compartmentalization for the Sustainable Replication of Genetic Molecules

Mizuuchi

Ichihashi

2021

Life

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“…For this, catalysts within autocatalytic networks should exhibit high enough specificity toward the reactions of the network to overcome degradation and losses due to side reactions. Given an autocatalytic set of

reactions, each catalyzed with a specificity

(where

, disappearance can be avoided, provided

, thereupon revealing a “decay threshold” ( Szathmáry, 2006 ; Vasas et al., 2012 ; Blokhuis et al, 2020a ). Furthermore, for survival to be possible, the concentration of feedstock compounds must stay above a specific value most of the time.…”

Section: The Diversity Of Thresholds In Origin Of Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

“…, thereupon revealing a ''decay threshold'' (Szathmá ry, 2006;Vasas et al, 2012;Blokhuis et al, 2020a). Furthermore, for survival to be possible, the concentration of feedstock compounds must stay above a specific value most of the time.…”

Section: The Diversity Of Thresholds In Origin Of Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

Thresholds in Origin of Life Scenarios

2020

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Summary Thresholds are widespread in origin of life scenarios, from the emergence of chirality, to the appearance of vesicles, of autocatalysis, all the way up to Darwinian evolution. Here, we analyze the “error threshold,” which poses a condition for sustaining polymer replication, and generalize the threshold approach to other properties of prebiotic systems. Thresholds provide theoretical predictions, prescribe experimental tests, and integrate interdisciplinary knowledge. The coupling between systems and their environment determines how thresholds can be crossed, leading to different categories of prebiotic transitions. Articulating multiple thresholds reveals evolutionary properties in prebiotic scenarios. Overall, thresholds indicate how to assess, revise, and compare origin of life scenarios.

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“…Inspired by the work of S. Matsumura, we recently explored general scenarios of transient compartmentalization that are also able to maintain information in replicating systems [9,10]. We proposed a transient compartmentalization dynamics with no cell division, which should be achievable when only prebiotic chemistry is available.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survival of Self-Replicating Molecules under Transient Compartmentalization with Natural Selection

Laurent

Peliti²,

Lacoste

2019

Life

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The problem of the emergence and survival of self-replicating molecules in origin-of-life scenarios is plagued by the error catastrophe, which is usually escaped by considering effects of compartmentalization, as in the stochastic corrector model. By addressing the problem in a simple system composed of a self-replicating molecule (a replicase) and a parasite molecule that needs the replicase for copying itself, we show that transient (rather than permanent) compartmentalization is sufficient to the task. We also exhibit a regime in which the concentrations of the two kinds of molecules undergo sustained oscillations. Our model should be relevant not only for origin-of-life scenarios but also for describing directed evolution experiments, which increasingly rely on transient compartmentalization with pooling and natural selection.

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The generality of transient compartmentalization and its associated error thresholds

Cited by 13 publications

References 43 publications

Primitive Compartmentalization for the Sustainable Replication of Genetic Molecules

Primitive Compartmentalization for the Sustainable Replication of Genetic Molecules

Thresholds in Origin of Life Scenarios

Survival of Self-Replicating Molecules under Transient Compartmentalization with Natural Selection

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