The effect of environment on the evolution and proliferation of protocells of increasing complexity

The formation, growth, division and proliferation of protocells containing RNA strands is an important step in ensuring the viability of a mixed RNA-lipid world. Experiments and computer simulations indicate that RNA encapsulated inside protocells can favour the protocell promoting its growth while protecting the system from being over-run by parasites. Recent work has also shown the rolling-circle replication mechanism can be harnessed to ensure rapid growth of RNA strands and probabilistic emergence and proliferation of protocells with functionally diverse ribozymes. Despite these advances in our understanding of a primordial RNA-lipid world, key questions remain about the ideal environment for formation of protocells and its role in regulating the proliferation of functionally complex protocells. The hot spring hypothesis suggests that mineral-rich regions near hot-springs, subject to dry-wet cycles provide an ideal environment for the origin of primitive protocells. We develop a computational model to study protocellular evolution in such environments that are distinguished by the occurrence of three distinct phases, a wet phase, followed by a gel phase, and subsequently by a dry phase. We determine the conditions under which protocells containing multiple types of ribozymes can evolve and proliferate in such regions. We find that diffusion in the gel-phase can inhibit the proliferation of complex protocells with the extent of inhibition being most significant when a small fraction of protocells is eliminated during environmental cycling. Our work clarifies how the environment can shape the evolution and proliferation of complex protocells.