A major challenge for understanding the origins of life is to explore how replication networks can engage in an evolutionary process. Herein, we shed light on this problem by implementing a network constituted by two different types of extremely simple biological components: the amino acid cysteine and the canonical nucleobases adenine and thymine, connected through amide bonds to the cysteine amino group and oxidation of its thiol into three possible disulfides. Supramolecular and kinetic analyses revealed that both self- and mutual interactions between such dinucleobase compounds drive their assembly and replication pathways. Those pathways involving sequence complementarity led to enhanced replication rates, suggesting a potential bias for selection. The interplay of synergistic dynamics and competition between replicators was then simulated, under conditions that are not easily accessible with experiments, in an open reactor parametrized and constrained with the unprecedentedly complete experimental kinetic data obtained for our replicative network. Interestingly, the simulations show bistability, as a selective amplification of different species depending on the initial mixture composition. Overall, this network configuration can favor a collective adaptability to changes in the availability of feedstock molecules, with disulfide exchange reactions serving as 'wires' that connect the different individual auto- and cross-catalytic pathways.

中文翻译：

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最小核碱基序列复制网络中的集体适应性

理解生命起源的一个主要挑战是探索复制网络如何参与进化过程。在这里，我们通过实施由两种不同类型的极其简单的生物成分构成的网络来阐明这个问题：氨基酸半胱氨酸和典型的核碱基腺嘌呤和胸腺嘧啶，通过酰胺键连接到半胱氨酸氨基上并将其硫醇氧化成三种可能的二硫化物。超分子和动力学分析表明，这种双核碱基化合物之间的自身和相互相互作用驱动了它们的组装和复制途径。那些涉及序列互补性的途径导致复制率提高，这表明选择存在潜在偏差。然后模拟了复制器之间的协同动力学和竞争的相互作用，在实验不容易获得的条件下，在一个开放的反应器中，通过为我们的复制网络获得的前所未有的完整实验动力学数据进行参数化和约束。有趣的是，模拟显示了双稳态，即根据初始混合物组成对不同物种进行选择性放大。总体而言，这种网络配置有利于对原料分子可用性变化的集体适应性，二硫化物交换反应充当连接不同个体自催化和交叉催化途径的“电线”。模拟显示双稳态，作为根据初始混合物组成对不同物种的选择性放大。总体而言，这种网络配置有利于对原料分子可用性变化的集体适应性，二硫化物交换反应充当连接不同个体自催化和交叉催化途径的“电线”。模拟显示双稳态，作为根据初始混合物组成对不同物种的选择性放大。总体而言，这种网络配置有利于对原料分子可用性变化的集体适应性，二硫化物交换反应充当连接不同个体自催化和交叉催化途径的“电线”。