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Synthetic Turing protocells: vesicle self-reproduction through symmetry-breaking instabilities

J. Macia·R. V. Sole
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Abstract

The reproduction of a living cell requires a repeatable set of chemical events to be properly coordinated. Such events define a replication cycle, coupling the growth and shape change of the cell membrane with internal metabolic reactions. Although the logic of such process is determined by potentially simple physico-chemical laws, the modeling of a full, self-maintained cell cycle is not trivial. Here we present a novel approach to the problem which makes use of so called symmetry breaking instabilities as the engine of cell growth and division. It is shown that the process occurs as a consequence of the breaking of spatial symmetry and provides a reliable mechanism of vesicle growth and reproduction. Our model opens the possibility of a synthetic protocell lacking information but displaying self-reproduction under a very simple set of chemical reactions.

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J. Macia, R. V. Sole. 2006-07-21. Synthetic Turing protocells: vesicle self-reproduction through symmetry-breaking instabilities. https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0607035

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