Compartmentalised RNA catalysis in membrane-free coacervate protocells

Björn Drobot, Juan M. Iglesias-Artola, Kristian Vay, Viktoria Mayr, Mrityunjoy Kar, Moritz Kreysing (), Hannes Mutschler () and Dora Tang T-Y ()
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Björn Drobot: Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
Juan M. Iglesias-Artola: Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
Kristian Vay: Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry
Viktoria Mayr: Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry
Mrityunjoy Kar: Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
Moritz Kreysing: Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
Hannes Mutschler: Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry
Dora Tang T-Y: Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Phase separation of mixtures of oppositely charged polymers provides a simple and direct route to compartmentalisation via complex coacervation, which may have been important for driving primitive reactions as part of the RNA world hypothesis. However, to date, RNA catalysis has not been reconciled with coacervation. Here we demonstrate that RNA catalysis is viable within coacervate microdroplets and further show that these membrane-free droplets can selectively retain longer length RNAs while permitting transfer of lower molecular weight oligonucleotides.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06072-w

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