An onset model of mutually catalytic self-replicative systems formed by an assembly of polynucleotides

Abstract

Self-replicability is the unique attribute observed in all the living organisms and the question how the life was physically initiated could be equivalent to the question how self-replicating informative polymers were formed in the abiotic material world. It has been suggested that the present DNA and proteins world was preceded by RNA world in which genetic information of RNA molecules was replicated by the mutual catalytic function of RNA molecules. However, the important question how the transition occurred from a material world to the very early pre-RNA world remains unsolved experimentally nor theoretically. We present an onset model of mutually catalytic self-replicative systems formed in an assembly of polynucleotides. A quantitative expression of the critical condition for the onset of growing fluctuation towards self-replication in this model is obtained by analytical and numerical calculations.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review