Processes occurring within each protocell in the population at a single discrete time step. Continuous arrows show polymers being produced, segmented arrows show peptide catalysis of CO2 fixation and templated polymerization, and dotted arrows indicate RNA acting as templates for copying and translation. CO2 fixation (or monomer addition in the heterotrophic model) and polymer decay are sources of nucleotide and amino acid monomers, while monomers are consumed by polymerization, copying, and translation. Protocells grow as a result of CO2 fixation (or monomer addition) producing membrane fatty acids and divide when they reach a size threshold. Protocell division is followed by random loss of a protocell from the population (similar to a Moran process). The model tracks a population of protocells evolving under these dynamics. Sequences shown in the diagram are illustrative, and the model only keeps track of hydrophobicity and length of sequences, and not sequence order.
What selective forces first enabled protocells to evolve functional coding sequences? @andrewpom.bsky.social &co show that genetic #heredity could only originate once #protocells achieved sufficient metabolic capacity, so growth had to precede information @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3Py9uFl
