Nucleobases bind to and stabilize aggregates of a prebiotic amphiphile, providing a viable mechanism for the emergence of protocells
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Primordial cells presumably combined RNAs, which functioned as catalysts and carriers of genetic information, with an encapsulating membrane of aggregated amphiphilic molecules. Major questions regarding this hypothesis include how the four bases and the sugar in RNA were selected from a mixture of prebiotic compounds and colocalized with such membranes, and how the membranes were stabilized against flocculation in salt water. To address these questions, we explored the possibility that aggregates of decanoic acid, a prebiotic amphiphile, interact with the bases and sugar found in RNA. We found that these bases, as well as some but not all related bases, bind to decanoic acid aggregates. Moreover, both the bases and ribose inhibit flocculation of decanoic acid by salt. The extent of inhibition by the bases correlates with the extent of their binding, and ribose inhibits to a greater extent than three similar sugars. Finally, the stabilizing effects of a base and ribose are additive. Thus, aggregates of a prebiotic amphiphile bind certain heterocyclic bases and sugars, including those found in RNA, and this binding stabilizes the aggregates against salt. These mutually reinforcing mechanisms might have driven the emergence of protocells.
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Binding of the first functional polymers to a protocell's membranous enclosure stabilizes the membrane against stresses.
“This binding has been shown to stabilize the membrane against stresses (Black et al., 2013; Mayer et al., 2018)”
From The Hot Spring Hypothesis for an Origin of Life (2020) · cites this paper as Black et al., 2013
In “Inhibition of Decanoic Acid Flocculation by Nucleobases and Ribose” (page not available), the paper reports that adenine inhibits salt-induced flocculation and thereby preserves decanoic-acid vesicles. It tests nucleobases and sugars—components of RNA—not functional polymers bound to a protocell membrane. The claim is therefore supported for stabilization against salt stress, but not for binding by polymers or for stresses generally. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAdenine has a stabilizing effect on fatty acid membranes.
“Significantly, Black et al. [63,64] reported that adenine had a stabilizing effect on fatty acid membranes, suggesting that water soluble nucleobases may also have a role in stabilizing primitive membranes.”
From The Role of Lipid Membranes in Life’s Origin (2017) · cites this paper as [63]
The principal capability of membrane vesicles for the early steps of life has been described, and recently it was shown that a possible prebiotic amphiphile (decanoic acid) undergoes distinct binding interactions with nucleobases and proteins, so vesicles may serve as containments for initial metabolic steps and as encapsulated environments for RNA replication.
“The principal capability of membrane vesicles for the early steps of life has been described on numerous occasions [27,28,29]. Recently, it was shown that a possible prebiotic amphiphile (decanoic acid) undergoes distinct binding interactions with nucleobases and proteins [30,31]. So, at this stage, they may serve as containments for initial metabolic steps and, most prominently, as an ensemble of”
From Selection of Prebiotic Molecules in Amphiphilic Environments (2017) · cites this paper as [30]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Black, R. A., Blosser, M. C., Stottrup, B. L., Tavakley, R., Deamer, D. W., & Keller, S. L.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- Augsburg University (US)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (US)
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2013-07-30
- Volume
- 110
- Issue
- 33
- Pages
- 13272-13276
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC3746888
- OpenAlex
- W2098449980
- Cited by
- 123
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 7
- FWCI
- 4.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (0744852, 1040126)
- University of Washington
- Division of Chemistry
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences
- 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
- protocells, origin of life, capric acid, nucleobase binding, RNA bases, ribose, salt stabilization, lipid aggregates, RNA encapsulation, heterocyclic bases
- MeSH terms
- Origin of Life, Cells, Decanoic Acids, Flocculation, Models, Biological, Nephelometry and Turbidimetry, Nucleosides, RNA, Sodium Chloride, Surface-Active Agents, Molecular Structure, Prebiotics
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Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
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