Multistable Protocells Can Aid the Evolution of Prebiotic Autocatalytic Sets
Angad Yuvraj Singh,
Sanjay Jain
Abstract:We present a simple mathematical model that captures the evolutionary capabilities of a prebiotic compartment or protocell. In the model, the protocell contains an autocatalytic set whose chemical dynamics is coupled to the growth–division dynamics of the compartment. Bistability in the dynamics of the autocatalytic set results in a protocell that can exist with two distinct growth rates. Stochasticity in chemical reactions plays the role of mutations and causes transitions from one growth regime to another. W… Show more
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