RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Rapid growth and fusion of protocells in surface-adhered membrane networks
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2020.03.10.980417
DO 10.1101/2020.03.10.980417
A1 Köksal, Elif S.
A1 Liese, Susanne
A1 Xue, Lin
A1 Ryskulov, Ruslan
A1 Viitala, Lauri
A1 Carlson, Andreas
A1 Gözen, Irep
YR 2020
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/03/11/2020.03.10.980417.abstract
AB Elevated temperatures might have promoted the nucleation, growth and replication of protocells on the early Earth. Recent reports have shown evidence that moderately high temperatures not only permit protocell assembly at the origin of life, but could have actively supported it. Here we show the fast nucleation and growth of vesicular compartments from autonomously formed lipid networks on solid surfaces, induced by a moderate increase in temperature. Branches of the networks, initially consisting of self-assembled interconnected nanotubes, rapidly swell into microcompartments which can spontaneously encapsulate RNA fragments. The increase in temperature further causes fusion of adjacent network-connected compartments, resulting in the redistribution of the RNA. The experimental observations and the mathematical model indicate that the presence of nanotubular interconnections between protocells facilitates the fusion process.