title: Self-assembly behaviours of primitive and modern lipid membrane solutions: a coarse-grained molecular simulation study.
abstract: Researchers have studied the origin of life and the process of evolution on early Earth for decades. However, we lack a comprehensive understanding of biogenesis, because there are many stages in the formation and growth of the first cell. We investigate the self-replication processes of coacervate protocells using computer simulations of single-chain lipid and phospholipid aqueous mixtures. Based on a morphological phase diagram, we develop a model of prebiotic self-replication driven by only environmental factors (i.e. temperature and lipid concentrations) without any external force. Moreover, we investigate high concentration structures during the process of self-replication. These structures have an advantage in fusion and repair of cell membranes. Therefore, lipid hot spots may have existed in primordial soup.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kindai University, Higashiosaka, Osaka, Japan. arai@mech.kindai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Noriyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshimoto
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasuoka
authors.forename: Toshikazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ebisuzaki
mesh_terms: D058045:Artificial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D008563:Membrane Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014867:Water