Primitive selection of the fittest emerging through functional synergy in nucleopeptide networks

Significance Research on the chemical origin of life comprises one most exciting topics in contemporary science. Prebiotic chemistry provided evidence that precursors both nucleic acids and proteins might be formed prebiotic environment. Yet, studies nonenzymatic replication—a central mechanism driving evolution—focused largely each class these molecules separately. This paper reveals a successful attempt to replicate simple nucleopeptide chimeras. Most importantly, different mechanisms control replication complementary chimeras, leading clear selection over other. We propose related processes may have led emergence first functional nucleic-acid–peptide assemblies, which further developed into biological assemblies such as ribosomes viruses.