Rethinking the pre - RNA paradigm in the context of RNA and Origins of Life
Molecular Horizons Seminar - Dr Ram Krishnamurthy
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Wollongong Campus
35.G45
A 'pre-RNA world of simpler oligomers that later gives rise to RNA has been proposed and investigated intensively and is based on the difficulties encountered in demonstrating a widely acceptable prebiotic pathway to RNA. However, many of the pre-RNA world ideas suffer from the main drawback of how they would give rise to, or transition to, RNA.
Work from our laboratory suggests that the conventional paradigm of a "homogeneous" pre-RNA’ system giving rise to a “homogeneous" RNA needs to be modified to a much different and simpler paradigm. We suggest that there need not be an informational and functional pre-RNA oligomer that gives rise to an RNA/DNA world, rather that the monomeric pre-RNA components themselves can mediate supramolecular assemblies and play a role in the emergence of an oligomeric RNA/DNA.