The RNA-world and co-evolution hypotheses and the origin of life: implications, research strategies and perspectives

Abstract

The applicability of the RNA-world and co-evolution hypotheses to the study of the very first stages of the origin of life is discussed. The discussion focuses on the basic differences between the two hypotheses and their implications, with regard to the reconstruction methodology, ribosome emergence, balance between ribozymes and protein enzymes, and their major difficulties. Additional complexities of the two hypotheses, such as membranes and the energy source of the first reactions, are not treated in the present work. A central element in the proposed experimental strategies is the study of the catalytic activities of very small peptides and RNA-like oligomers, according to existing, as well as to yet-to-be-invented scenarios of the two hypotheses under consideration. It is suggested that the novel directed molecular evolution technology, and molecular computational modelling, can be applied to this research. This strategy is assumed to be essential for the suggested goal of future studies of the origin of life, namely, the establishment of a 'Primordial Darwinian entity'.