Evolution of protein$-$RNA interactions

TL;DR

This review explores the evolution of protein-RNA interactions from prebiotic conditions to modern biomolecular machines, emphasizing physicochemical interactions and their role in early cellular organization.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of how protein-RNA interactions originated and evolved, highlighting the physicochemical basis and their significance in early life development.

Findings

Protein-RNA interactions emerged under prebiotic conditions.

Physicochemical interactions drove early molecular organization.

Evolution led to complex structures like the ribosome.

Abstract

Since the Hadean era of Earth's history, peptides/proteins and RNA have undergone a complex evolutionary trajectory. Originating from simple monomeric units, these molecules evolved abiotically under various biochemical and biophysical constraints into functional biomolecules that contributed to the emergence of the first living cells. Within these cells, their interactions could then evolve through Darwinian selection. In this review, we examine current understanding of how protein$-$RNA interactions emerged under prebiotic conditions and developed into today's iconic biomolecular machines such as the ribosome. Particular emphasis is placed on the types of physicochemical interactions accessible to early protein$-$RNA complexes and their roles in driving spatial organization and compartmentalization in protocellular environments.