Emergence of a New Self-Replicator from a Dynamic Combinatorial Library Requires a Specific Pre-Existing Replicator.

ABSTRACT: Our knowledge regarding the early steps in the formation of evolvable life and what constitutes the minimal molecular basis of life remains far from complete. The recent emergence of systems chemistry reinvigorated the investigation of systems of self-replicating molecules to address these questions. Most of these studies focus on single replicators and the effects of replicators on the emergence of other replicators remains under-investigated. Here we show the cross-catalyzed emergence of a novel self-replicator from a dynamic combinatorial library made from a threonine containing peptide building block, which, by itself, only forms trimers and tetramers that do not replicate. Upon seeding of this library with different replicators of different macrocycle size (hexamers and octamers), we

SUBMITTER: Altay Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5632813 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature