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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 49: Physics of the Genesis of Life - Focus Session organized by Moritz Kreysing and Dieter Braun

BP 49.7: Vortrag

Donnerstag, 23. März 2017, 11:30–11:45, SCH A251

Temperature gradients assemble RNA rich protocells — •Juan M. Iglesias Artola and Moritz Kreysing — Max Planck Institute of Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany

We now know that the several components of life (i.e. peptides, nucleic acids and lipids) were plausibly available at an early stage of Earth's history [1]. However, concentration and selection of these biomolecules still eludes a fulfilling answer. In general, how could scarce functional biomolecules find each other in order to build in complexity? Temperature gradients as available at hydrothermal vent pores, and elsewhere, have already been shown to be a suitable setting to address these questions. These environments have previously been shown to accumulate nucleic acids and exert a selective pressure on sequence length, promoting molecular complexity [2]. Here we show that by using such an out of equilibrium environment we are able to form protocells from a dilute solution of peptides and functional RNA, and that these micro-droplets are able to sustain RNA enzymatic activity. The observation that these temperature gradients also enhance micro-droplet formation opens a new set of possibilities. Within protocells even higher concentrations are possible, as known to be important for ribozyme activity. Moreover, these liquid micro-droplets could be the basis for competitive growth and selection at the protocellular level.

[1]. PB. H. Patel, et al. Nat. Chem 7, (2015) [2] M. Kreysing, et al. Nat. Chem 7, 203 (2015) [3] T. Z. Jia, et al. Nat. Chem 8, 915 (2016)