Prebiotic Foam Environments to Oligomerize and Accumulate RNA. (18th November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tekin, Emre; Salditt, Annalena; Schwintek, Philipp; Wunnava, Sreekar; Langlais, Juliette; Saenz, James; Tang, Dora; Schwille, Petra; Mast, Christof; Braun, Dieter
• Is Part Of: Chembiochem. Volume 23:Number 24(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-11-18
• Subjects: fatty acids -- foam -- nucleic acid structures -- origin of life -- polymerization; Biochemistry -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; Pharmaceutical chemistry -- Periodicals; 572
• DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200423
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1439-4227

Abstract

Abstract: When water interacts with porous rocks, its wetting and surface tension properties create air bubbles in large number. To probe their relevance as a setting for the emergence of life, we microfluidically created foams that were stabilized with lipids. A persistent non‐equilibrium setting was provided by a thermal gradient. The foam's large surface area triggers capillary flows and wet‐dry reactions that accumulate, aggregate and oligomerize RNA, offering a compelling habitat for RNA‐based early life as it offers both wet and dry conditions in direct neighborhood. Lipids were screened to stabilize the foams. The prebiotically more probable myristic acid stabilized foams over many hours. The capillary flow created by the evaporation at the water‐air interface provided an attractive force for molecule localization and selection for molecule size. For example, self‐binding oligonucleotide sequences accumulated and formed micrometer‐sized aggregates which were shuttled between gas bubbles. The wet‐dry cycles at the foam bubble interfaces triggered a non‐enzymatic RNA oligomerization from 2', 3'‐cyclic CMP and GMP which despite the small dry reaction volume was superior to the corresponding dry reaction. The found characteristics make heated foams an interesting, localized setting for early molecular evolution. Abstract : Prebiotic foams are a new environment for the emergence of life. The wet‐dry cycling at the enhanced interfacial area caused higher yields in catalyst‐free RNA polymerization compared to an environment with low interfacial area. At the surfaces of air bubbles, we observed growth of DNA rich aggregates, which were able to fuse and detach to be accumulated at other bubbles.