Exponential self-replication enabled through a fibre elongation/breakage mechanism.
Exponential self-replication enabled through a fibre elongation/breakage mechanism.
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DOI：
10.1038/ncomms8427
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发表时间：
2015-06-17
影响因子：
16.6
通讯作者：
Otto S
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Colomb-Delsuc M;Mattia E;Sadownik JW;Otto S
自我复制的分子很可能在生命的起源中发挥了核心作用。达尔文进化论在分子水平上的大多数场景都需要能够指数增长的自我复制因子，但迄今为止只有很少的指数复制因子被报道，并且缺乏指数复制的一般设计标准。在这里，我们表明，肽功能化的大环自我复制剂表现出指数增长时，受到温和的搅拌。复制因子自组装成细长的纤维，其末端促进复制和纤维生长。搅拌导致生长中的纤维断裂，产生更多的纤维末端。我们的数据表明了一种机制，其中机械能促进复制因子从非活性自组装状态中解放出来，从而克服了阻止迄今为止开发的大多数自我复制分子实现指数增长的自我抑制。 指数复制是分子水平达尔文进化的要求之一，但在合成系统中很难实现。在这里，作者展示了一种肽官能化的大环化合物，当受到温和搅拌时，它形成具有指数增长的超分子纤维。
Self-replicating molecules are likely to have played a central role in the origin of life. Most scenarios of Darwinian evolution at the molecular level require self-replicators capable of exponential growth, yet only very few exponential replicators have been reported to date and general design criteria for exponential replication are lacking. Here we show that a peptide-functionalized macrocyclic self-replicator exhibits exponential growth when subjected to mild agitation. The replicator self-assembles into elongated fibres of which the ends promote replication and fibre growth. Agitation results in breakage of the growing fibres, generating more fibre ends. Our data suggest a mechanism in which mechanical energy promotes the liberation of the replicator from the inactive self-assembled state, thereby overcoming self-inhibition that prevents the majority of self-replicating molecules developed to date from attaining exponential growth. Exponential replication is one of the requirements for molecular-level Darwinian evolution, but is difficult to achieve in synthetic systems. Here, the authors show a peptide-functionalized macrocycle that forms supramolecular fibres with exponential growth when subjected to mild agitation.