Exponential self-replication enabled through a fibre elongation/breakage mechanism.

Area of Science:

• Origin of life studies
• Molecular evolution
• Supramolecular chemistry

Background:

• Self-replicating molecules are crucial for understanding life's origins and molecular Darwinian evolution.
• Exponential growth is a key requirement for molecular evolution, but few self-replicators achieve it.
• General design principles for exponential self-replication remain largely undefined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the design criteria for achieving exponential growth in self-replicating molecules.
• To demonstrate a novel peptide-functionalized macrocyclic self-replicator capable of exponential growth.
• To elucidate the mechanism by which mechanical agitation promotes exponential replication.

Main Methods:

• Design and synthesis of a peptide-functionalized macrocyclic self-replicator.
• Observation of self-assembly into elongated fibers.
• Application of mild agitation to induce fiber breakage and replication.
• Analysis of the replication mechanism involving mechanical energy and self-inhibition.

Main Results:

• The peptide-functionalized macrocyclic self-replicator demonstrated sustained exponential growth under mild agitation.
• Self-assembly into fibers with replication-promoting ends was observed.
• Agitation was found to cause fiber breakage, generating new replication sites.
• A mechanism was proposed where mechanical energy liberates replicators from an inactive state, overcoming self-inhibition.

Conclusions:

• Peptide-functionalized macrocycles can be designed for exponential self-replication.
• Mechanical agitation is an effective strategy to overcome self-inhibition in self-replicating systems.
• This work provides insights into the design of artificial self-replicators and the conditions favoring early life evolution.