Did membrane electrochemistry precede translation?

Abstract

The discovery of RNA-based enzymes, such as ribonuclease-P, has stimulated new interest in the idea that catalytic functions of RNA preceded the use of coded enzymes during an era loosely termed 'the RNA world'. This paper examines various lines of evidence which support the idea that electrochemical processes associated with the membrane may have preceded the development of coded protein enzymes and may have provided a basis for the phosphorylation energy of the RNA world.