Small cofactors may assist protein emergence from RNA world: clues from RNA-protein complexes

PLoS One. 2011;6(7):e22494. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022494. Epub 2011 Jul 18.

Abstract

It is now widely accepted that at an early stage in the evolution of life an RNA world arose, in which RNAs both served as the genetic material and catalyzed diverse biochemical reactions. Then, proteins have gradually replaced RNAs because of their superior catalytic properties in catalysis over time. Therefore, it is important to investigate how primitive functional proteins emerged from RNA world, which can shed light on the evolutionary pathway of life from RNA world to the modern world. In this work, we proposed that the emergence of most primitive functional proteins are assisted by the early primitive nucleotide cofactors, while only a minority are induced directly by RNAs based on the analysis of RNA-protein complexes. Furthermore, the present findings have significant implication for exploring the composition of primitive RNA, i.e., adenine base as principal building blocks.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Databases as Topic
  • Evolution, Molecular*
  • Nucleotides / metabolism*
  • Origin of Life*
  • Protein Binding
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • RNA / metabolism*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Nucleotides
  • Proteins
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • RNA