Selfishness versus functional cooperation in a stochastic protocell model

JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY

卷:267

Article

Zintzaras, Elias^4,5,6  Santos, Mauro^1,4  Szathmary, Eors^2,3,4 

[1] Univ Autonoma Barcelona, Dept Genet & Microbiol, GBE, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain

[2] Eotvos Lorand Univ, Inst Biol, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary

[3] Parmenides Ctr Study Thinking, D-82409 Munich, Germany

[4] Coll Budapest, Inst Adv Study, H-1014 Budapest, Hungary

[5] Univ Thessaly, Sch Med, Dept Biomath, Biopolis 41100, Larissa, Greece

[6] Tufts Univ, Sch Med, Inst Clin Res & Hlth Policy Studies, Tufts Med Ctr, Boston, MA 02111 USA

关键词: Artificial cells;    Functional complexity;    Monte Carlo methods;    Q beta replicase;    Ribozymes;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jtbi.2010.09.011

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

How to design an evolvable artificial system capable to Increase in complexity? Although Darwin s theory of evolution by natural selection obviously offers a firm foundation little hope of success seems to be expected from the explanatory adequacy of modern evolutionary theory which does a good job at explaining what has already happened but remains practically helpless at predicting what will occur However the study of the major transitions in evolution clearly suggests that Increases in complexity have occurred on those occasions when the conflicting interests between competing individuals were partly subjugated This immediately raises the issue about levels of selection in evolutionary biology and the idea that multi-level selection scenarios are required for complexity to emerge After analyzing the dynamical behaviour of competing replicators within compartments we show here that a proliferation of differentiated catalysts and/or improvement of catalytic efficiency of ribozymes can potentially evolve in properly designed artificial cells where the strong internal competition between the different species of replicators is somewhat prevented (i e by choosing them with equal probability) Experimental evolution in these systems will likely stand as beautiful examples of artificial adaptive systems and will provide new insights to understand possible evolutionary paths to the evolution of metabolic complexity (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

【 授权许可】

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