proposed ancestors of phage nucleic acid packaging motors (and cells)提出的祖先噬菌体核酸包装汽车(细胞).pdfVIP

Viruses 2011, 3, 1249-1280; doi:10.3390/v3071249 OPEN ACCESS viruses ISSN 1999-4915 /journal/viruses Article Proposed Ancestors of Phage Nucleic Acid Packaging Motors (and Cells) Philip Serwer Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; E-Mail: serwer@; Tel.: +1-(210)-567-3765; Fax: +1-(210)-567-6595 Received: 4 June 2011; in revised form: 7 July 2011 / Accepted: 12 July 2011 / Published: 20 July 2011 Abstract: I present a hypothesis that begins with the proposal that abiotic ancestors of phage RNA and DNA packaging systems (and cells) include mobile shells with an internal, molecule-transporting cavity. The foundations of this hypothesis include the conjecture that current nucleic acid packaging systems have imprints from abiotic ancestors. The abiotic shells (1) initially imbibe and later also bind and transport organic molecules, thereby providing a means for producing molecular interactions that are links in the chain of events that produces ancestors to the first molecules that are both information carrying and enzymatically active, and (2) are subsequently scaffolds on which proteins assemble to form ancestors common to both shells of viral capsids and cell membranes. Emergence of cells occurs via aggregation and merger of shells and internal contents. The hypothesis continues by using proposed imprints of abiotic and biotic a