Abstract
AbstractCooperative interactions between RNA and vesicle membranes on the prebiotic earth may have led to the emergence of primitive cells. The membrane surface offers a potential platform for the catalysis of reactions involving RNA, but this scenario relies upon the existence of a simple mechanism by which RNA could become associated with protocell membranes. Here, we show that electrostatic interactions provided by short, basic, amphipathic peptides can be harnessed to drive RNA binding to both zwitterionic phospholipid and anionic fatty acid membranes. We show that the association of cationic molecules with phospholipid vesicles can enhance the local positive charge on a membrane and attract RNA polynucleotides. This phenomenon can be reproduced with amphipathic peptides as short as three amino acids. Finally, we show that peptides can cross bilayer membranes to localize encapsulated RNA. This mechanism of polynucleotide confinement could have been important for primitive cellular evolution.
Highlights
Cooperative interactions between RNA and vesicle membranes on the prebiotic earth may have led to the emergence of primitive cells
The membrane surface offers a potential platform for the catalysis of reactions involving RNA, but this scenario relies upon the existence of a simple mechanism by which RNA could become associated with protocell membranes
We show that electrostatic interactions provided by short, basic, amphipathic peptides can be harnessed to drive RNA binding to both zwitterionic phospholipid and anionic fatty acid membranes
Summary
Cooperative interactions between RNA and vesicle membranes on the prebiotic earth may have led to the emergence of primitive cells. We show that the association of cationic molecules with phospholipid vesicles can enhance the local positive charge on a membrane and attract RNA polynucleotides. Both CPPs and AMPs are generally amphipathic, basic, and less than 30 amino acids in length.[11] We reasoned that short peptides (equal to or shorter than seven amino acids) that are sufficiently hydrophobic to associate with membranes and sufficiently cationic to interact electrostatically with the phosphate groups on RNA might localize short RNA oligomers to a vesicle surface.
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