Getting from an RNA world to modern cells just got a little easier
✍ Scribed by Anthony M. Poole
- Book ID
- 101708834
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2006
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 95 KB
- Volume
- 28
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0265-9247
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Our understanding of the early steps in the evolution of life is hampered by a Catch-22: Darwinian selection leading to longer genomes requires as prerequisite increased replicative fidelity. Yet a genome at capacity cannot increase in size; it will be catastrophically mutated out of existence if fidelity has not already increased. Traditionally the problem has been considered for genotypes but can be down-sized if multiple genotypes specify the same phenotype. Kun and colleagues put empirical meat on theoretical bone by analysing ribozyme mutagenesis data, concluding that modest replication fidelities could permit a primordial genome with up to 100 genes.