# Pyrite as a catalyst for the emergence of multiphase primitive cells

## TL;DR

This paper shows how pyrite can help create complex, life-like protocells with internal compartments, advancing our understanding of how life might have emerged from non-living matter.

## Contribution

A novel pyrite-catalyzed protocell system is developed that forms multiphase droplets with compartmentalized structures.

## Key findings

- Pyrite enhances the peroxidase-like activity of coacervate droplets, enabling a transition to multiphase structures.
- The resulting droplets have internal sub-compartments that remain stable during fusion.
- This system offers a potential model for prebiotic cell-like structures with life-like functions.

## Abstract

Coacervate-based protocells are minimal systems that mimic certain properties of natural cells and are used to investigate the emergence of life from nonliving chemical systems. However, constructing protocells with hierarchical structures and life-like functions remains a challenge. In this work, we develop a novel coacervate-based protocell (droplet) composed of single-stranded oligonucleotides (ss-oligo), quaternized dextran (Q-dextran), and 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). In the presence of natural pyrite, the droplet encapsulates the pyrite, enhancing its peroxidase-like catalytic activity. This activity catalyzes oxidation of TMB to its oxidized form (TMBox), inducing a transition from single-phase to multiphase droplets. The resulting multiphase droplet consists of an internal TMBox/ss-oligo phase and a surrounding Q-dextran/ss-oligo phase, facilitating the sequestration and partitioning of ss-oligo into discrete regions. Notably, these droplets exhibit stability in their internal sub-compartments during fusion, showing their potential as dynamic and functional models in synthetic biology and biotechnology applications. Our study highlights that the catalytic activity of minerals may serve as a potential strategy for constructing hierarchically structured protocells that resemble the morphology and functions of living cells. This finding represents a significant step towards improving our mechanistic understanding of the transition from non-living matter to living systems under prebiotic conditions.