Small-molecule autocatalysis may have paved the way for the emergence of evolution by natural selection

The field of systems chemistry focuses on analyzing and synthesizing autocatalytic systems. It is closely related to the study of the origin of life as it explores the transition between chemical and biological evolution. These systems are more complex than simple molecules but simpler than living cells.

In 1978, Tibor Gánti proposed the theory of self-replicating microspheres. Although these microspheres lacked genetic material, they contained an autocatalytic metabolic network of small molecules within their membranes.

As the autocatalytic process occurred, the building material for the membranes was produced, resulting in the division of the microspheres. While these microspheres may appear similar to living cells, their lack of genetic material can only be confirmed through experimental verification. They are considered “infrabiological” chemical systems that surpass the complexity of regular chemical reactions but do not reach the level of biological organization.

A potential candidate for the growth of small molecule metabolic networks and compartments is the formose reaction, a sugar-producing reaction that doesn’t require enzymes. It involves the circular transformation and propagation of glycolaldehyde molecules. Tibor Gánti identified this reaction as promising for the system.

A recent study conducted by Professor Andrew Griffiths and his colleagues at the École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles (ESPCI) in Paris used tiny water droplets in an oil medium as artificial cells. Some of these cells were given glycolaldehyde as an autocatalyst, triggering the formose reaction. The reaction caused the cells without glycolaldehyde to shrink due to osmosis, allowing the cells with glycolaldehyde to grow and divide under external influence. This study sheds light on the initial cell division mechanisms before the emergence of regulated cell division.

This groundbreaking study demonstrates that a network of small-molecule autocatalytic reactions, without genetic material or enzymes, can lead to the growth, division, and formation of new generations of compartments. This finding is fundamental for the experimental verification of systems chemistry principles and offers insights into the origin of life.

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