The DOI matches its Crossref record; 25 of the 25 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Nucleobases bind to and stabilize aggregates of a prebiotic amphiphile, providing a viable mechanism for the emergence of protocells
Open accessAbstract
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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“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
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“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]
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“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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Cites
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Borate Minerals Stabilize Ribose
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Metadata
- 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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