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A Peptide–Nucleic Acid Replicator Origin for Life

Piette, Bernard M.A.G.; Heddle, Jonathan G.

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Authors

Jonathan G. Heddle



Abstract

Evolution requires self-replication. But, what was the very first self-replicator directly ancestral to all life? The currently favoured RNA World theory assigns this role to RNA alone but suffers from a number of seemingly intractable problems. Instead, we suggest that the self-replicator consisted of both peptides and nucleic acid strands. Such a nucleopeptide replicator is more feasible both in the light of the replication machinery currently found in cells and the complexity of the evolutionary path required to reach them. Recent theoretical and mathematical work supports this idea and provide a blueprint for future investigations.

Citation

Piette, B. M., & Heddle, J. G. (2020). A Peptide–Nucleic Acid Replicator Origin for Life. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 35(5), 397-406. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2020.01.001

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Mar 11, 2020
Publication Date May 1, 2020
Deposit Date Mar 13, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution
Print ISSN 0169-5347
Publisher Cell Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 35
Issue 5
Pages 397-406
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2020.01.001

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