title: Energetically plausible model of a self-maintaining protocellular system.
abstract: Most of the models for cellular origin stress one of these two approaches: "replication-first" or "metabolism-first." The model presented here focuses on the latter, consisting of the combination of kinetic and energetic descriptions of protocellular metabolism. In this model, the membrane plays a very crucial role in the maintenance of the cell and the osmotic stability. The model contains the following elements: structural membrane elements (Lm), transducers (T), molecules (E) that combine enzyme-like activity with the transport of elements through the membrane, energy-rich molecules (A), precursors of each type of molecule (l, t, e, and a, respectively), and an impermeable substance (x). Different kinetic parameters lead to a wide region of stable steady states, as studied through numerical analysis. The system presents stability under different external conditions. Two energy source regimes have been studied: periodic and nonperiodic. The kinetic restrictions that lead to osmotic stability are also addressed in this paper.
authors.affiliation: Dpto. de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Grupo de BioFírica Facultad de CC. Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Olasagasti
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Juli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peretó
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morán
mesh_terms: D002468:Cell Physiological Phenomena; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical