Transient compartmentalization of RNA replicators prevents extinction due to parasites

Matsumura, Shigeyoshi and Kun, Ádám and Ryckelynck, Michael and Coldren, Faith and Szilágyi, András and Jossinet, Fabrice and Rick, Christian and Nghe, Philippe and Szathmáry, Eörs and Griffiths, Andrew (2016) Transient compartmentalization of RNA replicators prevents extinction due to parasites. SCIENCE, 354 (6317). pp. 1293-1296. ISSN 0036-8075

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Abstract

The appearance of molecular replicators (molecules that can be copied) was probably a critical step in the origin of life. However, parasitic replicators would take over and would have prevented life from taking off unless the replicators were compartmentalized in reproducing protocells. Paradoxically, control of protocell reproduction would seem to require evolved replicators.We show here that a simpler population structure, based on cycles of transient compartmentalization (TC) and mixing of RNA replicators, is sufficient to prevent takeover by parasitic mutants.TC tends to select for ensembles of replicators that replicate at a similar rate, including a diversity of parasites that could serve as a source of opportunistic functionality. Thus,TC in natural, abiological compartments could have allowed life to take hold.

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