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The origin of the RNA world: Co-evolution of genes and metabolism
Abstract
Discoveries demonstrating that RNA can serve genetic, catalytic, structural, and regulatory roles have provided strong support for the existence of an RNA World that preceded the origin of life as we know it. Despite the appeal of this idea, it has been difficult to explain how macromolecular RNAs emerged from small molecules available on the early Earth. We propose here a mechanism by which mutual catalysis in a pre-biotic network initiated a progression of stages characterized by ever larger and more effective catalysts supporting a proto-metabolic network, and the emergence of RNA as the dominant macromolecule due to its ability to both catalyze chemical reactions and to be copied in a template-directed manner. This model suggests that many features of modern life, including the biosynthetic pathways leading to simple metabolites, the structures of organic and metal ion cofactors, homochirality, and template-directed replication of nucleic acids, arose long before the RNA World and were retained as pre-biotic systems became more sophisticated.
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“In this view, present-day metabolism is a direct consequence of prebiotic chemistry, rather than an accidental by-product, and the origin of RNA and DNA is intimately linked with these proto-metabolic reactions (Copley et al., 2007).”
From The Astrobiology Primer v2.0 (2016) · cites this paper as Copley et al., 2007
In the citing paper
“In this view, present-day metabolism is a direct consequence of prebiotic chemistry, rather than an accidental by-product, and the origin of RNA and DNA is intimately linked with these proto-metabolic reactions (Copley et al., 2007).”
From The Astrobiology Primer v2.0 (2016) · cites this paper as Copley et al., 2007
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Metadata
- Authors
- Copley, S. D., Smith, E., & Morowitz, H. J.
- Affiliations
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (US)
- Santa Fe Institute (US)
- George Mason University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Copley, Shelley D.
- Venue
- Bioorganic Chemistry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-12
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 430-443
- ISSN
- 0045-2068 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2091007915
- Cited by
- 184
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 3.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Bioorganic Chemistry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Keywords
- RNA world, origin of life, RNA catalysis, homochirality, metal cofactors, biosynthetic pathway, early Earth chemistry
- MeSH terms
- Origin of Life, Catalysis, Models, Theoretical, RNA, Thermodynamics, Evolution, Molecular
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