The origin of translation is critical for understanding the evolution of life, including the origins of life. The canonical genetic code is one of the most dominant aspects of life on this planet, while the origin of heredity is one of the key evolutionary transitions in living world. Why the translation apparatus evolved is one of the enduring mysteries of molecular biology. Assuming the hypothesis, that during the emergence of life evolution had to first involve autocatalytic systems which only subsequently acquired the capacity of genetic heredity, we propose and discuss possible mechanisms, basic aspects of the emergence and subsequent molecular evolution of translation and ribosomes, as well as enzymes as we know them today. It is possible, in this sense, to view the ribosome as a digital-to-analogue information converter. The proposed mechanism is based on the abilities and tendencies of short RNA and polypeptides to fold and to catalyse biochemical reactions. The proposed mechanism is in concordance with the hypothesis of a possible chemical co-evolution of RNA and proteins in the origin of the genetic code or even more generally at the early evolution of life on Earth. The possible abundance and availability of monomers at prebiotic conditions are considered in the mechanism. The hypothesis that early polypeptides were folding on the RNA scaffold is also considered and mutualism in molecular evolutionary development of RNA and peptides is favoured.

中文翻译：

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起初是互惠互利——论翻译的起源。


翻译的起源对于理解生命的进化，包括生命的起源至关重要。规范遗传密码是这个星球上生命最主要的方面之一，而遗传起源是生命世界关键的进化转变之一。为什么翻译装置会进化是分子生物学的持久谜团之一。假设生命进化的出现必须首先涉及自催化系统，而自催化系统随后才获得遗传遗传的能力，我们提出并讨论了可能的机制、出现的基本方面以及翻译和核糖体的后续分子进化。就像我们今天所知道的酶一样。从这个意义上讲，可以将核糖体视为数字模拟信息转换器。所提出的机制基于短RNA和多肽折叠和催化生化反应的能力和倾向。所提出的机制与在遗传密码的起源中或更普遍地在地球生命的早期进化过程中RNA和蛋白质可能发生化学共同进化的假设是一致的。该机制考虑了在生命起源条件下单体可能的丰度和可用性。早期多肽在 RNA 支架上折叠的假设也被考虑，并且 RNA 和肽的分子进化发展中的互利共生受到青睐。