Origins of life: first came evolutionary dynamics
When life arose from prebiotic molecules 3.5 billion years ago, what came first? Informational molecules (RNA, DNA), functional ones (proteins), or something else? We argue here for a different logic: rather than seeking a molecule type, we seek a dynamical process. Biology required an ability to ev...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2023-01-01
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| Series: | QRB Discovery |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2633289223000029/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1827969381006573568 |
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| author | Charles Kocher Ken A. Dill |
| author_facet | Charles Kocher Ken A. Dill |
| author_sort | Charles Kocher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | When life arose from prebiotic molecules 3.5 billion years ago, what came first? Informational molecules (RNA, DNA), functional ones (proteins), or something else? We argue here for a different logic: rather than seeking a molecule type, we seek a dynamical process. Biology required an ability to evolve before it could choose and optimise materials. We hypothesise that the evolution process was rooted in the peptide folding process. Modelling shows how short random peptides can collapse in water and catalyse the elongation of others, powering both increased folding stability and emergent autocatalysis through a disorder-to-order process. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:36:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f969218962b34655b4a4b9a65359c39c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2633-2892 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:36:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | QRB Discovery |
| spelling | doaj.art-f969218962b34655b4a4b9a65359c39c2023-04-11T10:19:05ZengCambridge University PressQRB Discovery2633-28922023-01-01410.1017/qrd.2023.2Origins of life: first came evolutionary dynamicsCharles Kocher0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5032-5186Ken A. Dill1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2390-2002Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USALaufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USAWhen life arose from prebiotic molecules 3.5 billion years ago, what came first? Informational molecules (RNA, DNA), functional ones (proteins), or something else? We argue here for a different logic: rather than seeking a molecule type, we seek a dynamical process. Biology required an ability to evolve before it could choose and optimise materials. We hypothesise that the evolution process was rooted in the peptide folding process. Modelling shows how short random peptides can collapse in water and catalyse the elongation of others, powering both increased folding stability and emergent autocatalysis through a disorder-to-order process.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2633289223000029/type/journal_articleDarwinian evolutionprotein foldingorigin of life |
| spellingShingle | Charles Kocher Ken A. Dill Origins of life: first came evolutionary dynamics QRB Discovery Darwinian evolution protein folding origin of life |
| title | Origins of life: first came evolutionary dynamics |
| title_full | Origins of life: first came evolutionary dynamics |
| title_fullStr | Origins of life: first came evolutionary dynamics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Origins of life: first came evolutionary dynamics |
| title_short | Origins of life: first came evolutionary dynamics |
| title_sort | origins of life first came evolutionary dynamics |
| topic | Darwinian evolution protein folding origin of life |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2633289223000029/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT charleskocher originsoflifefirstcameevolutionarydynamics AT kenadill originsoflifefirstcameevolutionarydynamics |