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Hasanzadeh A, Saeedi S, Dastanpour L, Biabanaki ZS, Asadi L, Noori H, Hamblin MR, Liu Y, Karimi M. Self-replicating nanomaterials as a new generation of smart nanostructures. Biotechnol Adv 2025; 81:108565. [PMID: 40107431 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2025] [Accepted: 03/16/2025] [Indexed: 03/22/2025]
Abstract
Self-replication is the process by which a system or entity autonomously reproduces or generates copies of itself, transmitting hereditary information through its molecular structure. Self-replication can be attractive for various researchers, ranging from biologists focused on uncovering the origin of life, to synthetic chemists and nanotechnologists studying synthetic machines and nanorobots. The capability of a single structure to act as a template to produce multiple copies of itself could allow the bottom-up engineering of progressively complex reaction networks and nanoarchitectures from simple building blocks. Herein, we review nucleic acid-based and amino acid-based self-replicating systems and completely synthetic artificial systems and specially focused on specific aspects of self-replicating nanomaterials. We describe their mechanisms of action and provide a full discussion of the principal requirements for achieving nanostructures capable of self-replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akbar Hasanzadeh
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Saeedi
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Neuroscience Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Lida Dastanpour
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra S Biabanaki
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leili Asadi
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Noori
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Michael R Hamblin
- Laser Research Center, Faculty of Health Science, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein 2028, South Africa
| | - Yong Liu
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, China.
| | - Mahdi Karimi
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Research Center for Science and Technology in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Applied Biotechnology Research Centre, Tehran Medical Science, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
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2
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Gu R, Lambertsen Larsen K, Wang A, Tan J. Approaching Dynamic Behaviors of Life through Systems Chemistry. Chemistry 2025; 31:e202403083. [PMID: 39485372 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202403083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2024] [Revised: 10/20/2024] [Accepted: 10/30/2024] [Indexed: 11/03/2024]
Abstract
The intricate interplay of metabolic reactions and molecular assembly in living systems enables spatiotemporally organization and gives rise to diverse dynamic behaviors that characterize life. Over the last decades, research efforts have increasingly focused on replicating the remarkable properties and characteristics of living systems, driving the rapid growth of systems chemistry. This young discipline which generally studies interacting molecular networks and emergent system-level properties, behaviors, and functions, offers new concepts and tools to tackle the complexity of life. In this review paper, we have explored seminal research and recent advancements in recreating dynamic behaviors of life with systems chemistry. We believe that the recreation of the dynamic behaviors of life through systems chemistry would set the initial steps to obtain synthetic life de novo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruirui Gu
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Institute of Fine Chemicals, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Kim Lambertsen Larsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Section of Chemistry Science and Engineering, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, Aalborg Ø, Denmark
| | - Ali Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, København Ø, Denmark
| | - Junjun Tan
- Department of Chemistry, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, København Ø, Denmark
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3
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Ams MR, McAuliffe JR, Semenick RS, Zeller M. Self-Replication Without Hydrogen-Bonds: An Exobiotic Design. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202401446. [PMID: 38958604 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202401446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Life on Earth uses DNA as the central template for self-replication, genetic encoding, and information transfer. However, there are no physical laws precluding life's existence elsewhere in space, and alternative life forms may not need DNA. In the search for exobiology, knowing what to look for as a biosignature remains a challenge - especially if it is not from the obvious list of biologic building blocks. Clues from chemicals recently discovered on Mars and in the Taurus Molecular Cloud 1 (TMC-1), show that intriguing organic compounds exist beyond Earth, which could provide a starting point for unconventional exobiotic designs. Here we present a new potential self-replicating system with structural similarities to recently discovered compounds on Mars and TMC-1. Rather than using DNA's hydrogen-bonding motif for reliable base-paring, our design employs sulfur-nitrogen interactions to selectively template unique benzothiadiazole units in sequence. We synthesized and studied two versions of this system, one reversible and the other irreversible, and found experimental evidence of self-replication in d-chloroform solvent. These results are part of a larger pursuit in our lab for developing a basis for a potential exobiological system using starting blocks closely related to these cosmic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Ams
- Department of Chemistry, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM, 87801, USA
| | - Joseph R McAuliffe
- Department of Chemistry, Allegheny College, 520 North Main Street, Meadville, PA, 16335, USA
| | - Raina S Semenick
- Department of Chemistry, Allegheny College, 520 North Main Street, Meadville, PA, 16335, USA
| | - Matt Zeller
- X-ray Crystallography, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
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4
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Ranganath VA, Maity I. Artificial Homeostasis Systems Based on Feedback Reaction Networks: Design Principles and Future Promises. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202318134. [PMID: 38226567 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202318134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Feedback-controlled chemical reaction networks (FCRNs) are indispensable for various biological processes, such as cellular mechanisms, patterns, and signaling pathways. Through the intricate interplay of many feedback loops (FLs), FCRNs maintain a stable internal cellular environment. Currently, creating minimalistic synthetic cells is the long-term objective of systems chemistry, which is motivated by such natural integrity. The design, kinetic optimization, and analysis of FCRNs to exhibit functions akin to those of a cell still pose significant challenges. Indeed, reaching synthetic homeostasis is essential for engineering synthetic cell components. However, maintaining homeostasis in artificial systems against various agitations is a difficult task. Several biological events can provide us with guidelines for a conceptual understanding of homeostasis, which can be further applicable in designing artificial synthetic systems. In this regard, we organize our review with artificial homeostasis systems driven by FCRNs at different length scales, including homogeneous, compartmentalized, and soft material systems. First, we stretch a quick overview of FCRNs in different molecular and supramolecular systems, which are the essential toolbox for engineering different nonlinear functions and homeostatic systems. Moreover, the existing history of synthetic homeostasis in chemical and material systems and their advanced functions with self-correcting, and regulating properties are also emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Ambekar Ranganath
- Centre for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain (Deemed-to-be University), Jain Global Campus, Bangalore, 562112, Karnataka, India
| | - Indrajit Maity
- Centre for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain (Deemed-to-be University), Jain Global Campus, Bangalore, 562112, Karnataka, India
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5
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Sevim İ. Design of Subreplicating Systems from an Existing Self-Replicating Diels-Alder Reaction System by Isosteric Replacement. J Org Chem 2021; 86:14964-14973. [PMID: 34633828 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c01695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The key feature of non-enzymatic self-replicating systems is the formation of catalytically active ternary complexes in which product templates direct precursors into spatial proximity to allow the formation of new covalent bonds. It is possible to create new replicating species by simply evaluating the ternary active complex of an existing replicating system and applying proper isosteric replacements. In this study, we have evaluated the formerly reported self-replicating Diels-Alder reaction having 61 and 33% selectivity for two diastereomeric replicators. An isosteric replacement on the spacer part connecting recognition and reactive sites of the maleimide component was applied by considering the symmetry of catalytically active ternary complexes, and it was shown that self-replication was conserved. Analysis of the new system showed 77 and 21% diastereoselectivity for the two new replicating species. Seeding experiments indicated autocatalytic activity of both replicators. In other words, both replicators compete with each other by catalyzing their own formation from the same reagent source. Another modification was applied by aiming selective blocking of the autocatalytic cycle of the competing diastereomer. The new system showed a diastereoselectivity of about 94% for the favored replicator. The kinetic data of both systems were analyzed by modeling with SimFit simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- İlhan Sevim
- Lehrstuhl für Organische Chemie I, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, Bochum 44801, Germany
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6
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Feng Y, Philp D. A Molecular Replication Process Drives Supramolecular Polymerization. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:17029-17039. [PMID: 34617739 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c06404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Supramolecular polymers are materials in which the connections between monomers in the polymer main chain are non-covalent bonds. This area has seen rapid expansion in the last two decades and has been exploited in several applications. However, suitable contiguous hydrogen-bond arrays can be difficult to synthesize, placing some limitations on the deployment of supramolecular polymers. We have designed a hydrogen-bonded polymer assembled from a bifunctional monomer composed of two replicating templates separated by a rigid spacer. This design allows the autocatalytic formation of the polymer main chain through the self-templating properties of the replicators and drives the synthesis of the bifunctional monomer from its constituent components in solution. The template-directed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction between nitrone and maleimide proceeds with high diastereoselectivity, affording the bifunctional monomer. The high binding affinity between the self-complementary replicating templates that allows the bifunctional monomer to polymerize in solution is derived from the positive cooperativity associated with this binding process. The assembly of the polymer in solution has been investigated by diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy. Both microcrystalline and thin films of the polymeric material can be prepared readily and have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. These results demonstrate that the approach described here is a valid one for the construction of supramolecular polymers and can be extended to systems where the rigid spacer between the replicating templates is replaced by one carrying additional function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanning Feng
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Douglas Philp
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, U.K
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7
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Howlett M, Scanes RJH, Fletcher SP. Selection between Competing Self-Reproducing Lipids: Succession and Dynamic Activation. JACS AU 2021; 1:1355-1361. [PMID: 34604845 PMCID: PMC8479773 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Models of chemical evolution are central to advancing origins of life research. To design more lifelike systems, we must expand our understanding of molecular selection mechanisms. Here, we show two selection modes that produce evolving populations of self-reproducing species, formed through thiol-disulfide exchange. Competition between thiol precursors can give clear succession patterns based on steric factors, an intrinsic property. A separate, emergent selection mechanism-dynamic activating metathesis-was found when exploring competing disulfide precursors. These experiments reveal that additional species generated in the mixture open up alternative reaction pathways to form self-reproducing products. Thus, increased compositional complexity provides certain species with a unique competitive advantage at the expense of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael
G. Howlett
- Department of Chemistry,
Chemistry Research Laboratory, University
of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J. H. Scanes
- Department of Chemistry,
Chemistry Research Laboratory, University
of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen P. Fletcher
- Department of Chemistry,
Chemistry Research Laboratory, University
of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
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8
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Yue L, Wang S, Zhou Z, Willner I. Nucleic Acid Based Constitutional Dynamic Networks: From Basic Principles to Applications. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:21577-21594. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c09891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Liang Yue
- Institute of Chemistry, The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Shan Wang
- Institute of Chemistry, The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Zhixin Zhou
- Institute of Chemistry, The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Itamar Willner
- Institute of Chemistry, The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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9
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Hanopolskyi AI, Smaliak VA, Novichkov AI, Semenov SN. Autocatalysis: Kinetics, Mechanisms and Design. CHEMSYSTEMSCHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/syst.202000026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anton I. Hanopolskyi
- Department of Organic Chemistry Weizmann Institute of Science Herzl, 234 7610001 Rehovot Israel
| | - Viktoryia A. Smaliak
- Department of Organic Chemistry Weizmann Institute of Science Herzl, 234 7610001 Rehovot Israel
| | - Alexander I. Novichkov
- Department of Organic Chemistry Weizmann Institute of Science Herzl, 234 7610001 Rehovot Israel
| | - Sergey N. Semenov
- Department of Organic Chemistry Weizmann Institute of Science Herzl, 234 7610001 Rehovot Israel
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10
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Sevim İ, Pankau WM, von Kiedrowski G. Re-Evaluation of a Fulvene-Based Self-Replicating Diels-Alder Reaction System. Chemistry 2020; 26:9032-9035. [PMID: 32638430 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201905594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We re-evaluate our claim of a high diastereoselectivity in the self-relicating Diels-Alder reaction between maleimide 1 and fulvene 3. It was shown that the system has a diastereoselectivity of 1.8:1 for NN-4:NX-4, which is contrary to the 16:1 ratio claimed by Dieckmann et al. The analysis of 1 H NMR monitoring of the reaction revealed that both replicators show sigmoidal growth which is typical for auto-catalytic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- İlhan Sevim
- Lehrstuhl für Organische Chemie I, Bioorganische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Wolf Matthias Pankau
- Lehrstuhl für Organische Chemie I, Bioorganische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Günter von Kiedrowski
- Lehrstuhl für Organische Chemie I, Bioorganische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
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11
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Robertson CC, Kosikova T, Philp D. Encoding Multiple Reactivity Modes within a Single Synthetic Replicator. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:11139-11152. [PMID: 32414236 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c03527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Establishing programmable and self-sustaining replication networks in pools of chemical reagents is a key challenge in systems chemistry. Self-replicating templates are formed from two constituent components with complementary recognition and reactive sites via a slow bimolecular pathway and a fast template-directed pathway. Here, we re-engineer one of the components of a synthetic replicator to encode an additional recognition function, permitting the assembly of a binary complex between the components that mediates replicator formation through a template-independent pathway, which achieves maximum rate acceleration at early time points in the replication process. The complementarity between recognition sites creates a key conformational equilibrium between the catalytically inert product, formed via the template-independent pathway, and the catalytically active replicator that mediates the template-directed pathway. Consequently, the rapid formation of the catalytically inert isomer kick-starts replication through the template-directed pathway. Through kinetic analyses, we demonstrate that the presence of the two recognition-mediated reactivity modes results in enhanced template formation in comparison to that of systems capable of exploiting only a single recognition-mediated pathway. Finally, kinetic simulations reveal that the conformational equilibrium and both the relative and absolute efficiencies of the recognition-mediated pathways affect the extent to which self-replicating systems can benefit from this additional template-independent reactivity mode. These results allow us to formulate the rules that govern the coupling of replication processes to alternative recognition-mediated reactivity modes. The interplay between template-directed and template-independent pathways for replicator formation has significant relevance to ongoing efforts to design programmable and adaptable replicator networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig C Robertson
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, United Kingdom
| | - Tamara Kosikova
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, United Kingdom.,Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3113, United States
| | - Douglas Philp
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, United Kingdom.,Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3113, United States
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12
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Selection from a pool of self-assembling lipid replicators. Nat Commun 2020; 11:176. [PMID: 31924788 PMCID: PMC6954257 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13903-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Replication and compartmentalization are fundamental to living systems and may have played important roles in life’s origins. Selection in compartmentalized autocatalytic systems might provide a way for evolution to occur and for life to arise from non-living systems. Herein we report selection in a system of self-reproducing lipids where a predominant species can emerge from a pool of competitors. The lipid replicators are metastable and their out-of-equilibrium population can be sustained by feeding the system with starting materials. Phase separation is crucial for selective surfactant formation as well as autocatalytic kinetics; indeed, no selection is observed when all reacting species are dissolved in the same phase. Selectivity is attributed to a kinetically controlled process where the rate of monomer formation determines which replicator building blocks are the fittest. This work reveals how kinetics of a phase-separated autocatalytic reaction may be used to control the population of out-of-equilibrium replicators in time. Selection in compartmentalized self-replicating systems might provide a way for life to arise from abiotic environments. Here, the authors explore selection in a system of transient autocatalytic lipids and find that autocatalytic kinetics and phase separation are the key selection factors.
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Huck J, Kosikova T, Philp D. Compositional Persistence in a Multicyclic Network of Synthetic Replicators. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:13905-13913. [PMID: 31403776 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b06697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of collections of simple chemical entities that create self-sustaining reaction networks, embedding replication and catalysis, is cited as a potential mechanism for the appearance on the early Earth of systems that satisfy minimal definitions of life. In this work, a functional reaction network that creates and maintains a set of privileged replicator structures through auto- and cross-catalyzed reaction cycles is created from the pairwise combinations of four reagents. We show that the addition of individual preformed templates to this network, representing instructions to synthesize a specific replicator, induces changes in the output composition of the system that represent a network-level response. Further, we establish through sets of serial transfer experiments that the catalytic connections that exist between the four replicators in this network and the system-level behavior thereby encoded impose limits on the compositional variability that can be induced by repeated exposure to instructional inputs, in the form of preformed templates, to the system. The origin of this persistence is traced through kinetic simulations to the properties and inter-relationships between the critical ternary complexes formed by the auto- and crosscatalytic templates. These results demonstrate that in an environment where there is no continuous selection pressure the network connectivity, described by the catalytic relationships and system-level interactions between the replicators, is persistent, thereby limiting the ability of this network to adapt and evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Huck
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM , University of St Andrews , North Haugh , St Andrews , Fife KY16 9ST , U.K
| | - Tamara Kosikova
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM , University of St Andrews , North Haugh , St Andrews , Fife KY16 9ST , U.K
| | - Douglas Philp
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM , University of St Andrews , North Haugh , St Andrews , Fife KY16 9ST , U.K
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14
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Le Vay K, Weise LI, Libicher K, Mascarenhas J, Mutschler H. Templated Self‐Replication in Biomimetic Systems. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 3:e1800313. [DOI: 10.1002/adbi.201800313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Le Vay
- Biomimetic SystemsMax Planck Institute of Biochemistry Martinsried Germany
| | - Laura Isabel Weise
- Biomimetic SystemsMax Planck Institute of Biochemistry Martinsried Germany
| | - Kai Libicher
- Biomimetic SystemsMax Planck Institute of Biochemistry Martinsried Germany
| | - Judita Mascarenhas
- Department of Systems and Synthetic MicrobiologyMax Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology Marburg Germany
| | - Hannes Mutschler
- Biomimetic SystemsMax Planck Institute of Biochemistry Martinsried Germany
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15
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Kosikova T, Philp D. Two Synthetic Replicators Compete To Process a Dynamic Reagent Pool. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:3059-3072. [PMID: 30668914 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b12077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Complementary building blocks, comprising a set of four aromatic aldehydes and a set of four nucleophiles-three anilines and one hydroxylamine-combine through condensation reactions to afford a dynamic covalent library (DCL) consisting of the eight starting materials and 16 condensation products. One of the aldehydes and, consequently, all of the DCL members derived from this compound bear an amidopyridine recognition site. Exposure of this DCL to two maleimides, Mp and Mm, each equipped with a carboxylic acid recognition site, results in the formation of a series of products through irreversible 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions with the four nitrones present in the DCL. However, only the two cycloadducts in the product pool that incorporate both recognition sites, Tp and Tm, are self-replicators that can harness the DCL as feedstock for their own formation, facilitating their own synthesis via autocatalytic and cross-catalytic pathways. The ability of these replicators to direct their own formation from the components present in the dynamic reagent pool in response to the input of instructions in the form of preformed replicators is demonstrated through a series of quantitative 19F{1H} NMR spectroscopy experiments. Simulations establish the critical relationships between the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the replicators, the initial reagent concentrations, and the presence or absence of the DCL and their influence on the competition between Tp and Tm. Thus, we establish the rules that govern the behavior of the competing replicators under conditions where their formation is coupled tightly to the processing of a DCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Kosikova
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM , University of St Andrews , North Haugh , St Andrews , KY16 9ST Fife , United Kingdom
| | - Douglas Philp
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM , University of St Andrews , North Haugh , St Andrews , KY16 9ST Fife , United Kingdom
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16
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Bartolec B, Altay M, Otto S. Template-promoted self-replication in dynamic combinatorial libraries made from a simple building block. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:13096-13098. [PMID: 30395138 DOI: 10.1039/c8cc06253f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We report dynamic combinatorial libraries made from a simple building block that is on the verge of enabling self-assembly driven self-replication. Adding a template provides a sufficient additional push yielding self-replication. Self-assembly and self-replication can emerge with building blocks that are considerably smaller than those reported thus far.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Bartolec
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.
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17
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Affiliation(s)
- Meniz Altay
- Centre for Systems ChemistryStratingh InstituteUniversity of Groningen Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Yigit Altay
- Centre for Systems ChemistryStratingh InstituteUniversity of Groningen Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Sijbren Otto
- Centre for Systems ChemistryStratingh InstituteUniversity of Groningen Nijenborgh 4 9747 AG Groningen The Netherlands
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Altay Y, Altay M, Otto S. Existing Self-Replicators Can Direct the Emergence of New Ones. Chemistry 2018; 24:11911-11915. [PMID: 29901838 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201803027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The study of the interplay between different self-replicating molecules constitutes an important new phase in the synthesis of life and in unravelling the origin of life. Here we show how existing replicators can direct the nature of a newly formed replicator. Starting from the same building block, 6-ring replicators formed when the mixture was exposed to pre-existing 6-membered replicators, while pre-formed 8-membered replicators funneled the building block into 8-ring replicators. Not only ring size, but also the mode of assembly of the rings into stacks was inherited from the pre-existing replicators. These results show that the nature of self-replicating molecules can be strongly influenced by the interplay between different self-replicators, overriding preferences innate to the structure of the building block.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yigit Altay
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Meniz Altay
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sijbren Otto
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Altay M, Altay Y, Otto S. Parasitic Behavior of Self-Replicating Molecules. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 57:10564-10568. [PMID: 29856109 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201804706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Self-replication plays a central role in the origin of life and in strategies to synthesize life de novo. Studies on self-replication have focused mostly on isolated systems, while the dynamics of systems containing multiple replicators have received comparatively little attention. Yet most evolutionary scenarios involve the interplay between different replicators. Here we report the emergence of parasitic behavior in a system containing self-replicators derived from two subtly different building blocks 1 and 2. Replicators from 2 form readily through cross-catalysis by pre-existing replicators made from 1. Once formed, the new replicators consume the original replicators to which they owe their existence. These results resemble parasitic and predatory behavior that is normally associated with living systems and show how such lifelike behavior has its roots in relatively simple systems of self-replicating molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meniz Altay
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747, AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yigit Altay
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747, AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sijbren Otto
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747, AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
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20
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Robertson CC, Mackenzie HW, Kosikova T, Philp D. An Environmentally Responsive Reciprocal Replicating Network. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:6832-6841. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b13576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Craig C. Robertson
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM, University of St Andrews, North Haugh St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, United Kingdom
| | - Harold W. Mackenzie
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM, University of St Andrews, North Haugh St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, United Kingdom
| | - Tamara Kosikova
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM, University of St Andrews, North Haugh St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas Philp
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM, University of St Andrews, North Haugh St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, United Kingdom
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21
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Abstract
Recent developments in synthetic molecular motors and pumps have sprung from a remarkable confluence of experiment and theory. Synthetic accomplishments have facilitated the ability to design and create molecules, many of them featuring mechanically bonded components, to carry out specific functions in their environment-walking along a polymeric track, unidirectional circling of one ring about another, synthesizing stereoisomers according to an external protocol, or pumping rings onto a long rod-like molecule to form and maintain high-energy, complex, nonequilibrium structures from simpler antecedents. Progress in the theory of nanoscale stochastic thermodynamics, specifically the generalization and extension of the principle of microscopic reversibility to the single-molecule regime, has enhanced the understanding of the design requirements for achieving strong unidirectional motion and high efficiency of these synthetic molecular machines for harnessing energy from external fluctuations to carry out mechanical and/or chemical functions in their environment. A key insight is that the interaction between the fluctuations and the transition state energies plays a central role in determining the steady-state concentrations. Kinetic asymmetry, a requirement for stochastic adaptation, occurs when there is an imbalance in the effect of the fluctuations on the forward and reverse rate constants. Because of strong viscosity, the motions of the machine can be viewed as mechanical equilibrium processes where mechanical resonances are simply impossible but where the probability distributions for the state occupancies and trajectories are very different from those that would be expected at thermodynamic equilibrium.
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Kosikova T, Philp D. Exploring the emergence of complexity using synthetic replicators. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 46:7274-7305. [PMID: 29099123 DOI: 10.1039/c7cs00123a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A significant number of synthetic systems capable of replicating themselves or entities that are complementary to themselves have appeared in the last 30 years. Building on an understanding of the operation of synthetic replicators in isolation, this field has progressed to examples where catalytic relationships between replicators within the same network and the extant reaction conditions play a role in driving phenomena at the level of the whole system. Systems chemistry has played a pivotal role in the attempts to understand the origin of biological complexity by exploiting the power of synthetic chemistry, in conjunction with the molecular recognition toolkit pioneered by the field of supramolecular chemistry, thereby permitting the bottom-up engineering of increasingly complex reaction networks from simple building blocks. This review describes the advances facilitated by the systems chemistry approach in relating the expression of complex and emergent behaviour in networks of replicators with the connectivity and catalytic relationships inherent within them. These systems, examined within well-stirred batch reactors, represent conceptual and practical frameworks that can then be translated to conditions that permit replicating systems to overcome the fundamental limits imposed on selection processes in networks operating under closed conditions. This shift away from traditional spatially homogeneous reactors towards dynamic and non-equilibrium conditions, such as those provided by reaction-diffusion reaction formats, constitutes a key change that mimics environments within cellular systems, which possess obvious compartmentalisation and inhomogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Kosikova
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK.
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23
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Astumian RD. Stochastic pumping of non-equilibrium steady-states: how molecules adapt to a fluctuating environment. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:427-444. [PMID: 29242862 DOI: 10.1039/c7cc06683j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In the absence of input energy, a chemical reaction in a closed system ineluctably relaxes toward an equilibrium state governed by a Boltzmann distribution. The addition of a catalyst to the system provides a way for more rapid equilibration toward this distribution, but the catalyst can never, in and of itself, drive the system away from equilibrium. In the presence of external fluctuations, however, a macromolecular catalyst (e.g., an enzyme) can absorb energy and drive the formation of a steady state between reactant and product that is not determined solely by their relative energies. Due to the ubiquity of non-equilibrium steady states in living systems, the development of a theory for the effects of external fluctuations on chemical systems has been a longstanding focus of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The theory of stochastic pumping has provided insight into how a non-equilibrium steady-state can be formed and maintained in the presence of dissipation and kinetic asymmetry. This effort has been greatly enhanced by a confluence of experimental and theoretical work on synthetic molecular machines designed explicitly to harness external energy to drive non-equilibrium transport and self-assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- R D Astumian
- Department of Physics, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
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Sadownik JW, Kosikova T, Philp D. Generating System-Level Responses from a Network of Simple Synthetic Replicators. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:17565-17573. [PMID: 29087701 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b09735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The creation of reaction networks capable of exhibiting responses that are properties of entire systems represents a significant challenge for the chemical sciences. The system-level behavior of a reaction network is linked intrinsically to its topology and the functional connections between its nodes. A simple network of chemical reactions constructed from four reagents, in which each reagent reacts with exactly two others, can exhibit up-regulation of two products even when only a single chemical reaction is addressed catalytically. We implement a system with this topology using two maleimides and two nitrones of different sizes-either short or long and each bearing complementary recognition sites-that react pairwise through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions to create a network of four length-segregated replicating templates. Comprehensive 1H NMR spectroscopy experiments unravel the network topology, confirming that, in isolation, three out of four templates self-replicate, with the shortest template exhibiting the highest efficiency. The strongest template effects within the network are the mutually cross-catalytic relationships between the two templates of intermediate size. The network topology is such that the addition of different preformed templates as instructions to a mixture of all starting materials elicits system-level behavior. Instruction with a single template up-regulates the formation of two templates in a predictable manner. These results demonstrate that the rules governing system-level behavior can be unraveled through the application of wholly synthetic networks with well-defined chemistries and interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan W Sadownik
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM, University of St Andrews , North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, United Kingdom
| | - Tamara Kosikova
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM, University of St Andrews , North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas Philp
- School of Chemistry and EaStCHEM, University of St Andrews , North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, United Kingdom
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