Abstract:Better understanding how reactions have been catalyzed in the prebiotic world is important for better realizing how enzymes have evolved. The dominant hypothesis is that the first catalyst was an RNA molecule. It was also assumed that amyloid fibrils, self‐assembled by peptides or proteins, served as the first catalysts. However, debate still exists regarding which process occurred first: the polymerization of RNA or the synthesis of proteins. Here, we show that an individual amino acid, L‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenyla… Show more
“…Simple peptides and even single amino acids can assemble [46–63]. Peptides can assemble to membrane‐like structures [64,65] or drive the formation of coacervate droplets to compartmentalize organic molecules [66].…”
The origins of biopolymers pose some of the most fascinating questions in prebiotic chemistry. The marvelous assembly proficiencies of biopolymers suggest they are winners of a competitive evolutionary process. Molecular assembly is ubiquitous in life and in abiotic systems and is often emergent upon polymerization. We focus on the influence of molecular assemblies on hydrolysis rates in aqueous media, and suggest that assembly was crucial for biopolymer selection. We suggest that incremental enrichment of some molecular species over others during chemical evolution was partially driven by interplay of kinetics of synthesis and hydrolysis. We document the general attenuation of hydrolysis by assembly of biopolymers and highlight the likely role of assembly in survival of the ‘fittest’ molecules during chemical evolution.
“…Simple peptides and even single amino acids can assemble [46–63]. Peptides can assemble to membrane‐like structures [64,65] or drive the formation of coacervate droplets to compartmentalize organic molecules [66].…”
The origins of biopolymers pose some of the most fascinating questions in prebiotic chemistry. The marvelous assembly proficiencies of biopolymers suggest they are winners of a competitive evolutionary process. Molecular assembly is ubiquitous in life and in abiotic systems and is often emergent upon polymerization. We focus on the influence of molecular assemblies on hydrolysis rates in aqueous media, and suggest that assembly was crucial for biopolymer selection. We suggest that incremental enrichment of some molecular species over others during chemical evolution was partially driven by interplay of kinetics of synthesis and hydrolysis. We document the general attenuation of hydrolysis by assembly of biopolymers and highlight the likely role of assembly in survival of the ‘fittest’ molecules during chemical evolution.
Protocellular surface formation via the self-assembly of amphiphiles, and catalysis by simple peptides/proto-RNA are two important pillars of the evolution of protocells. To hunt for prebiotic self-assembly-supported catalytic reactions, we...
1-Naphthaleneacetic acid-appended phenylalanine-derivative (Nap-F) forms a stable hydrogel with a minimum gelation concentration (MGC) of 0.7 % w/v (21 mM) in phosphate buffer of pH 7.4. Interestingly, Nap-F produces two...
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