On the Origin of Life: Coevolution between RNA and Peptide

Abstract

How life emerged on the ancient earth is one of the biggest questions in biology. RNA has a strong advantage as a candidate for the first polymer of life because it can simultaneously achieve information storage and enzymatic functions. However, RNA is difficult to be synthesized prebiotically and also chemically unstable. Recent studies have shown that positively charged peptides can support RNA to overcome such weaknesses. Such peptides also stimulate activities of ribozymes by assisting interactions between negatively charged RNA molecules. The primitive relationship between RNA and peptide is probably still surviving in modern enzymes like ribosome and RNA polymerase.