An Optical Probe for Real-Time Monitoring of Self-Replicator Emergence and Distinguishing between Replicators.

Joydev Hatai,Sijbren Otto,Marcel J Eleveld,Yigit Altay,David Margulies,Leila Motiei,Ankush Sood,Armin Kiani

doi:10.1021/jacs.1c11594

Joydev Hatai, Sijbren Otto + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c11594

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Abstract

Self-replicating systems play an important role in research on the synthesis and origin of life. Monitoring of these systems has mostly relied on techniques such as NMR or chromatography, which are limited in throughput and demanding when monitoring replication in real time. To circumvent these problems, we now developed a pattern-generating fluorescent molecular probe (an ID-probe) capable of discriminating replicators of different chemical composition and monitoring the process of replicator formation in real time, giving distinct signatures for starting materials, intermediates, and final products. Optical monitoring of replicators dramatically reduces the analysis time and sample quantities compared to most currently used methods and opens the door for future high-throughput experimentation in protocell environments.

Highlights

While these techniques have proven very powerful in unravelling the behavior of systems of individual replicators in solution, they are less suitable for parallel screening, sampling of small volumes and low concentrations, and in situ monitoring
We designed ID-probe 2a to monitor systems of self-replicators made from the family of peptidecontaining building blocks that we developed recently.[38,39]
In systems dominated by a single replicator the sensor is able to discriminate between replicators with different macrocycle sizes and amino-acid composition

Summary

Introduction

The field of self-replication is gradually entering the phase in which systems of replicators are extended to capture additional essential ingredients for life, including proto-metabolism and compartmentalization.[7,21,22] efforts directed at achieving Darwinian evolution of these systems are imminent. This shift in focus in research on self-replicating systems will put new demands on analytical tools. For further development of self-replicators in the direction of life, additional analytic tools are required that would ideally allow real-time and nondestructive monitoring of self-replicators at low concentrations and in small sample volumes

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Conclusion