Spatial structure supports diversity in prebiotic autocatalytic chemical ecosystems
Abstract Autocatalysis is thought to have played an important role in the earliest stages of the origin of life. An autocatalytic cycle (AC) is a set of reactions that results in stoichiometric increase in its constituent chemicals. When the reactions of multiple interacting ACs are active in a regi...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | npj Complexity |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44260-025-00045-z |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849335229223796736 |
|---|---|
| author | Alex M. Plum Christopher P. Kempes Zhen Peng David A. Baum |
| author_facet | Alex M. Plum Christopher P. Kempes Zhen Peng David A. Baum |
| author_sort | Alex M. Plum |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Autocatalysis is thought to have played an important role in the earliest stages of the origin of life. An autocatalytic cycle (AC) is a set of reactions that results in stoichiometric increase in its constituent chemicals. When the reactions of multiple interacting ACs are active in a region of space, they can have interactions analogous to those between species in biological ecosystems. Prior studies of autocatalytic chemical ecosystems (ACEs) have suggested avenues for accumulating complexity, such as ecological succession, as well as obstacles such as competitive exclusion. We extend this ecological framework to investigate the effects of surface adsorption, desorption, and diffusion on ACE ecology. Simulating ACEs as particle-based stochastic reaction-diffusion systems in spatial environments—including open, two-dimensional reaction-diffusion systems and adsorptive mineral surfaces—we demonstrate that spatial structure can enhance ACE diversity by (i) permitting otherwise mutually exclusive ACs to coexist and (ii) subjecting new AC traits to selection. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a18a639ae16b48e8b88331317e7620e0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2731-8753 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Complexity |
| spelling | doaj-art-a18a639ae16b48e8b88331317e7620e02025-08-20T03:45:22ZengNature Portfolionpj Complexity2731-87532025-07-01211810.1038/s44260-025-00045-zSpatial structure supports diversity in prebiotic autocatalytic chemical ecosystemsAlex M. Plum0Christopher P. Kempes1Zhen Peng2David A. Baum3Department of Physics, University of California San DiegoThe Santa Fe InstituteWisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-MadisonAbstract Autocatalysis is thought to have played an important role in the earliest stages of the origin of life. An autocatalytic cycle (AC) is a set of reactions that results in stoichiometric increase in its constituent chemicals. When the reactions of multiple interacting ACs are active in a region of space, they can have interactions analogous to those between species in biological ecosystems. Prior studies of autocatalytic chemical ecosystems (ACEs) have suggested avenues for accumulating complexity, such as ecological succession, as well as obstacles such as competitive exclusion. We extend this ecological framework to investigate the effects of surface adsorption, desorption, and diffusion on ACE ecology. Simulating ACEs as particle-based stochastic reaction-diffusion systems in spatial environments—including open, two-dimensional reaction-diffusion systems and adsorptive mineral surfaces—we demonstrate that spatial structure can enhance ACE diversity by (i) permitting otherwise mutually exclusive ACs to coexist and (ii) subjecting new AC traits to selection.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44260-025-00045-z |
| spellingShingle | Alex M. Plum Christopher P. Kempes Zhen Peng David A. Baum Spatial structure supports diversity in prebiotic autocatalytic chemical ecosystems npj Complexity |
| title | Spatial structure supports diversity in prebiotic autocatalytic chemical ecosystems |
| title_full | Spatial structure supports diversity in prebiotic autocatalytic chemical ecosystems |
| title_fullStr | Spatial structure supports diversity in prebiotic autocatalytic chemical ecosystems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial structure supports diversity in prebiotic autocatalytic chemical ecosystems |
| title_short | Spatial structure supports diversity in prebiotic autocatalytic chemical ecosystems |
| title_sort | spatial structure supports diversity in prebiotic autocatalytic chemical ecosystems |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44260-025-00045-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alexmplum spatialstructuresupportsdiversityinprebioticautocatalyticchemicalecosystems AT christopherpkempes spatialstructuresupportsdiversityinprebioticautocatalyticchemicalecosystems AT zhenpeng spatialstructuresupportsdiversityinprebioticautocatalyticchemicalecosystems AT davidabaum spatialstructuresupportsdiversityinprebioticautocatalyticchemicalecosystems |