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Cited by 398Origins and Evolution of LifeEvolution and Genetic DynamicsRNA and protein synthesis mechanisms

Compositional genomes: Prebiotic information transfer in mutually catalytic noncovalent assemblies

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Segré, Daniel, Ben-Eli, Dafna, Lancet, Doron·2000·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.97.8.4112PMC PMC18166
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Abstract

Mutually catalytic sets of simple organic molecules have been suggested to be capable of self-replication and rudimentary chemical evolution. Previous models for the behavior of such sets have analyzed the global properties of short biopolymer ensembles by using graph theory and a mean field approach. In parallel, experimental studies with the autocatalytic formation of amphiphilic assemblies (e.g., lipid vesicles or micelles) demonstrated self-replication properties resembling those of living cells. Combining these approaches, we analyze here the kinetic behavior of small heterogeneous assemblies of spontaneously aggregating molecules, of the type that could form readily under prebiotic conditions. A statistical formalism for mutual rate enhancement is used to numerically simulate the detailed chemical kinetics within such assemblies. We demonstrate that a straightforward set of assumptions about kinetically enhanced recruitment of simple amphiphilic molecules, as well as about the spontaneous growth and splitting of assemblies, results in a complex population behavior. The assemblies manifest a significant degree of homeostasis, resembling the previously predicted quasi-stationary states of biopolymer ensembles (Dyson, F. J. (1982) J. Mol. Evol. 18, 344-350). Such emergent catalysis-driven, compositionally biased entities may be viewed as having rudimentary "compositional genomes." Our analysis addresses the question of how mutually catalytic metabolic networks, devoid of sequence-based biopolymers, could exhibit transfer of chemical information and might undergo selection and evolution. This computed behavior may constitute a demonstration of natural selection in populations of molecules without genetic apparatus, suggesting a pathway from random molecular assemblies to a minimal protocell.

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Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.97.8.4112

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  • GARD analyses reveal a capacity for homeostatic growth, which results in and is a prerequisite for compositional inheritance.

    “Our published analyses of the ensuing dynamic behaviour of GARD clearly reveal a capacity for homeostatic growth, which is shown to result in, and be a prerequisite for compositional inheritance [54,56].”

    From Systems protobiology: origin of life in lipid catalytic networks (2018) · cites this paper as [54]

  • The observed similar distribution supports applying a functional form derived from equilibrium values (affinities) to catalytic (rate enhancement) values as done in GARD.

    “This provided support for applying a functional form derived from equilibrium values (affinities) to catalytic (rate enhancement) values as done in GARD [53,54]”

    From Systems protobiology: origin of life in lipid catalytic networks (2018) · cites this paper as [54]

  • The receptor affinity distribution (RAD) inferred via string matching is broadly applicable to the immune and olfactory systems and portrays a Poisson distribution, approximated by a lognormal distribution in GARD applications.

    “Along these lines, we have inferred a receptor affinity distribution (RAD) broadly applicable to the immune and olfactory systems via a close analogue of string matching [65,79]. This portrayed a Poisson distribution, which in GARD applications [54] was approximated by a lognormal distribution [80].”

    From Systems protobiology: origin of life in lipid catalytic networks (2018) · cites this paper as [54]

  • In the GARD realm, a series of compositional mutations would mark the temporary demise of a composome C1 but in the longer run would spell the subsequent dynamic emergence of another composome C2.

    “Importantly, in the GARD realm, a series of compositional mutations would mark the temporary demise of a composome C1 but in the longer run would spell the subsequent dynamic emergence of another composome C2 [54].”

    From Systems protobiology: origin of life in lipid catalytic networks (2018) · cites this paper as [54]

  • If we use our standard reactor scene with NG = 10^4 and NMAX = 100, the initial combinatorically generated 1000 assemblies will obligatorily be vastly different from each other, nearly orthogonal.

    “If we use our standard reactor scene, the initial combinatorically generated 1000 assemblies will obligatorily be vastly different from each other, nearly orthogonal [54,121,122].”

    From Systems protobiology: origin of life in lipid catalytic networks (2018) · cites this paper as [54]

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Authors
Segré, D., Ben-Eli, D., & Lancet, D.
Affiliations
  • Department of Molecular Genetics and the Crown Human Genome Center, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
  • Crown Human Genome Center (IL)
ORCID
Lancet, Doron
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
2000-04-11
Volume
97
Issue
8
Pages
4112-4117
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.97.8.4112
PMC
PMC18166
OpenAlex
W2025579355
Cited by
398
References
71
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 41 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 17
FWCI
6.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
Keywords
prebiotic chemistry, autocatalytic sets, chemical evolution, self-replication, lipid vesicles, micelles, reaction kinetics, homeostasis, quasi-stationary states, protocells, information transmission
MeSH terms
Catalysis, Kinetics, Models, Genetic, Genome

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