ArticlePLoS computational biology2016
Parasites Sustain and Enhance RNA-Like Replicators through Spatial Self-Organisation.
Article in PLoS computational biology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Parasites constrain within-population diversification while accelerating between-population divergence in an RNA replication system.Molecular biology and evolution · 2026Article
- Spatial structure: shaping the ecology and evolution of microbial communities.FEMS microbiology reviews · 2026Review
- Nothing in evolution makes sense except in the light of parasitism: evolution of complex replication strategies.Royal Society open science · 2021Article
- Primitive Compartmentalization for the Sustainable Replication of Genetic Molecules.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Viral Symbiosis in the Origins and Evolution of Life with a Particular Focus on the Placental Mammals.Results and problems in cell differentiation · 2020Article
- Review
- Conceptualizing the origin of life in terms of evolution.Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences · 2017Review
- Evolutionary Conflict Leads to Innovation: Symmetry Breaking in a Spatial Model of RNA-Like Replicators.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2017Article
- Simulating the origins of life: The dual role of RNA replicases as an obstacle to evolution.PloS one · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
In a prebiotic RNA world, parasitic behaviour may be favoured because template dependent replication happens in trans, thus being altruistic. Spatially extended systems are known to reduce harmful effects of parasites. Here we present a spatial system to show that evolution of replication is (indirectly) enhanced by strong parasites, and we characterise the phase transition that leads to this mode of evolution. Building on the insights of this analysis, we identify two scenarios, namely periodic disruptions and longer replication time-span, in which speciation occurs and an evolved parasite-like lineage enables the evolutionary increase of replication rates in replicators. Finally, we show that parasites co-evolving with replicators are selected to become weaker, i.e. worse templates for replication when the duration of replication is increased. We conclude that parasites may not be considered a problem for evolution in a prebiotic system, but a degree of freedom that can be exploited by evolution to enhance the evolvability of replicators, by means of emergent levels of selection.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.