...Terence P. Kee; Pierre-Alain Monnard Abstract Protocells are envisaged as encapsulated networks of catalytic polymers, such as RNAs, which are thought to have existed on the prebiotic Earth as precursors to contemporary biological cells. Such protocells were not “alive” in the way this word would...

... in the emergence of protocells, the cell-like entities that might have preceded the Last Universal Common Ancestor. © 2016 by the Mineralogical Society of America 2016 Mineral interfaces RNA world iron–sulfur world RNA–peptide world origin of life protocells metabolism The Earth formed ~4.56...

.... Here, we discuss the similarities between free metal ions, minerals, and biological enzyme catalysts, and how cellular life could have exploited prebiotic metallocomplexes. prebiotic chemistry iron–sulfur cluster protocell metallopeptide F igure 1 Three examples of common iron–sulfur...

... that of cellular life itself, remains an unresolved puzzle in biology. In fact, these two issues are probably part of a single larger question. As Maynard Smith and Szathmáry (1995 : p. 114) note, “During the evolution of protocells, unlinked genes must have given rise to linked ones. It is thus essential...

... authors assumed that this type of PNA skeleton might be the vestige of an ancient AGS made up of peptide-bearing nitrogenous bases. A potential transition to modern genetic systems might have been easy in protocells. Other experimental studies have focused on the adsorption and reaction of amino...

... has been expended in recent years in studying the early evolution of metabolic cycles and formation of protocells in this environment. In this volume the story continues, with for example Matsuno’s study of the behaviour of fatty acids and amino acids in a hydrothermal setting, with the potential key...

... of the text were published. Consider, for example, the fourth edition chapters on the origin of life and on the origin and early radiation of metazoans. Among numerous other revisions, Cowen has incorporated a summary of recent (post-2000) work on liposome formation and protocell evolution in the discussion...

...; Matthews 1992). These molecules could have primed the protocell for the production of further organic molecules. Alternatively, an alkaline, oV-ridge hydrothermal system may have acted as a chemical reactor in which rudimentary organic sulphide components were generated and provided to the hot spring...

... protocells (e.g. Deamer 2017 ). The stability of these vesicles under different conditions depends on the mixture of amphiphiles present. Experiments have shown that relatively long-chain (C 10 –C 15 ) fatty acids and 1-alkanols generate vesicles in the warm, saline, alkaline waters characteristic...

.... ( A ) Hollow and solid nanospheres. ( B ) Nanotubes. F rom G arvie and B useck ( 2004 ). The yield of relevant products in abiotic synthesis reactions is often very small. For stable and for reactive molecules, achieving the relevant concentration to form a protocell would have required processes...

...: examples from Namibia. Selected Papers from the Eighth International Kimberlite Conference. Volume 2: The J . Barry Hawthorne Volume , 77 , 359 – 373 . Chen , I.A. , and Walde , P. ( 2010 ) From self-assembled vesicles to protocells . Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology , 2...

... protocells. Science , 305 , 1474 –1476. Chen, Q., Frankel, D.J., and Richardson, N.V. ( 2002 ) Chemisorption induced chirality: glycine on Cu {110}. Surface Science , 497 , 37 –46. Cheng, Y.F. and Dovichi, N.J. ( 1988 ) Subattomole amino acid analysis by capillary zone electrophoresis and laser...

..., Connecticut, United States . Morowitz , H.J. , Heinz , B. , & Deamer , D.W. ( 1988 ) The chemical logic of a minimum protocell . Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere 18 , 281 – 287 . Morowitz , H.J. , Kostelnik , J.D. , Yang , J. , & Cody , G.D...

..., and protometalloenzymes. The metalloenzymes improved the catalytic efficiency of the budding system. Minor concentrations of RNA, adhering to mineral surfaces, brought some order to the structure of peptides and also enabled the transfer of genetic information to budding protocells and their evermore organic progeny...

... ) The emergence of competition between model protocells . Science , 305 , 1474 – 1476 . Chevrier V. Poulet F. Bibring J.P. ( 2007 ) Early geochemical environment of Mars as determined from thermodynamics of phyllosilicates . Nature , 448 , 60 – 63 . Christidis G.E. Huff W.D...