RNA Chemistry and the RNA World

核糖体的核心存在RNA，核苷酸辅因子的广泛使用，以及从RNA前体合成DNA和一些氨基酸，表明RNA曾经是生命进化早期的主要催化和遗传聚合物。这种“RNA世界”假说假设RNA能够进行维持和进化“核糖体”所需的所有反应。我的实验室的长期目标之一是选择和进化一种RNA复制酶核酶，能够在实验室中维持基于RNA的进化。这样的系统可以被称为“活的”，并将化学的简单性与生物学的复杂性结合起来。确定产生RNA复制所需的最小复杂性将前所未有地了解早期地球从非生物世界过渡到生物世界所面临的困难。

The presence of RNA at the core of the ribosome, the extensive use of nucleotide cofactors, and the synthesis of DNA and some amino acids from RNA precursors suggests that RNA was once the dominant catalytic and genetic polymer early in the evolution of life. This 'RNA World' hypothesis assumes that RNA is capable of all the reactions required to maintain and evolve a 'ribo-organism'. One of my laboratories long term objectives is to select and evolve an RNA replicase ribozyme capable of sustaining RNA based evolution in the laboratory. Such a system could be called 'alive' and would marry the underlying simplicity of chemistry to the complexity of biology. Identifying the minimal complexity required to produce an RNA replicace would inform as never before about the difficulties faced on the early Earth in transitioning from an abiotic to biotic world.