Metabolically Coupled Replicator Systems: Overview of an RNA-world model concept of prebiotic evolution on mineral surfaces
Open accessAbstract
Metabolically Coupled Replicator Systems (MCRS) are a family of models implementing a simple, physico-chemically and ecologically feasible scenario for the first steps of chemical evolution towards life. Evolution in an abiotically produced RNA-population sets in as soon as any one of the RNA molecules become autocatalytic by engaging in template directed self-replication from activated monomers, and starts increasing exponentially. Competition for the finite external supply of monomers ignites selection favouring RNA molecules with catalytic activity helping self-replication by any possible means. One way of providing such autocatalytic help is to become a replicase ribozyme. An additional way is through increasing monomer supply by contributing to monomer synthesis from external resources, i.e., by evolving metabolic enzyme activity. Retroevolution may build up an increasingly autotrophic, cooperating community of metabolic ribozymes running an increasingly complicated and ever more efficient metabolism. Maintaining such a cooperating community of metabolic replicators raises two serious ecological problems: one is keeping the system coexistent in spite of the different replicabilities of the cooperating replicators; the other is constraining parasitism, i.e., keeping "cheaters" in check. Surface-bound MCRS provide an automatic solution to both problems: coexistence and parasite resistance are the consequences of assuming the local nature of metabolic interactions. In this review we present an overview of results published in previous articles, showing that these effects are, indeed, robust in different MCRS implementations, by considering different environmental setups and realistic chemical details in a few different models. We argue that the MCRS model framework naturally offers a suitable starting point for the future modelling of membrane evolution and extending the theory to cover the emergence of the first protocell in a self-consistent manner. The coevolution of metabolic, genetic and membrane functions is hypothesized to follow the progressive sequestration scenario, the conceptual blueprint for the earliest steps of protocell evolution.
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The stochastic lattice implementation of the spatially explicit MCRS model keeps all metabolic replicators coexistent and shows robust ecological stability.
“Unlike the mean-field version, the stochastic (lattice) implementation of the spatially explicit MCRS model keeps all the metabolic replicators coexistent and shows robust ecological stability (Figure 9) [33,36,37].”
From Ecology and Evolution in the RNA World Dynamics and Stability of Prebiotic Replicator Systems (2017) · cites this paper as [37]
The MCRS models offer a chemically and ecologically feasible spatial mechanism for robust maintenance of a metabolically active set of different ribozymes attached to mineral surfaces.
“The growing family of the Metabolically Coupled Replicator System (MCRS) models offer a chemically and ecologically feasible spatial mechanism for the robust maintenance of a metabolically active set of different ribozymes attached to mineral surfaces”
From Ecology and Evolution in the RNA World Dynamics and Stability of Prebiotic Replicator Systems (2017) · cites this paper as [37]
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The Future of Origin of Life Research: Bridging Decades-Old Divisions
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Ecology and Evolution in the RNA World Dynamics and Stability of Prebiotic Replicator Systems
Szilágyi, A., Zachar, I., Scheuring, I., Kun, Á., Könnyű, B., & Czárán, T. (2017) · Life · doi:10.3390/life7040048 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
“Unlike the mean-field version, the stochastic (lattice) implementation of the spatially explicit MCRS model keeps all the metabolic replicators coexistent and shows robust ecological stability (Figure 9) [33,36,37].”
BackgroundSelf-citation
- Authors
- Czárán, T., Könnyű, B., & Szathmáry, E.
- Affiliations
- Eötvös Loránd University (HU)
- Corresponding author
- Czárán, Tamás
- Venue
- Journal of Theoretical Biology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-09
- Volume
- 381
- Pages
- 39-54
- ISSN
- 0022-5193 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W563174044
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 0.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Theoretical Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Repository of the Academy's Library (Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences) (acceptedVersion)
- ELTE Digital Institutional Repository (EDIT) (Eötvös Loránd University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- LPICo
- Funders
- Hungarian Research Foundation (K100806)
- European Research Council under the European Community’s (FP7/2007-2013, 294332)
- “Emergence and Evolution of Complex Chemical Systems”
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Keywords
- RNA world, prebiotic evolution, parasitism, mineral surfaces, membrane evolution, chemical evolution
- MeSH terms
- Origin of Life, Animals, Minerals, Models, Biological, RNA, Surface Properties, RNA, Catalytic, Evolution, Molecular, Evolution, Chemical
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