The Lipid-RNA World

TL;DR

This paper proposes a comprehensive 'Lipid-RNA World Scenario' explaining the origin of life, suggesting a transition from Lipid World to Protein-RNA World facilitated by ancient ribozymes protected by lipids, supported by a hypothetical model of early Earth conditions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel integrated model linking Lipid World and RNA World, including a hypothetical translation mechanism and evolutionary pathway supported by early Earth conditions.

Findings

Lipid-RNA interactions may be molecular fossils of early evolution.

A plausible transition pathway from Lipid-World to Protein-RNA World is proposed.

The model explains the origin of the minimal ribosome and LUCA's membrane-free structures.

Abstract

The simplest possible beginning of abiogenesis has been a riddle from the last century, which is most successfully solved by the Lipid World hypothesis. However, origin of the next stages of evolution starting form lipids is still in dark. We propose a 'Lipid-RNA World Scenario' based on the assumption that modern stable lipid-RNA interactions are molecular fossils of an ancient stage of evolution when RNA World originated from Lipid World. In accordance to the faint young sun conditions, we present an 'ice-covered hydrothermal vent' model of Hadean Ocean. Our hypothetical model suggests that faint young sun condition probably provided susceptible physical conditions for an evolutionary route from Lipid-World to Protein-RNA World, through an intermediate Lipid-RNA World. Ancient ribozymes were 'protected' by lipids assuring their survival in prebiotic ocean. The origin of natural selection ensures transition of Lipid-RNA World to Protein-RNA World after the origin of ribosome. Assuming the modern peptidyltransferase as the proto-ribosome structure, we have presented a hypothetical translation mechanism: proto-ribosome randomly polymerized amino acids being attached to the inner layer of a lipid-vesicle, using only physical energies available from our Hadean Ocean model. In accordance to the strategy of chemical evolution, we also have described the possible evolutionary behavior of this proto-ribosome, which explains the contemporary three-dimensional structure of 50S subunit and supports the predictions regarding the ancient regions of it. It also explains the origin of membrane-free 'minimal ribosome' in the time of LUCA.