Abstract
The proposed model for a ‘realistic hypercycle’ is closely associated with the molecular organization of a primitive replication and translation apparatus. Hypercyclic organization offers selective stabilization and evolutive adaptation for all geno- and phenotypic constituents of the functionally linked ensemble. It originates in a molecular quasi-species and evolves by way of mutation and gene duplication to greater complexity. Its early structure appears to be reflected in: the assignment of codons to amino acids, in sequence homologies of tRNAs, in dual enzymic functions of replication and translation, and in the structural and functional organization of the genome of the prokaryotic cell.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Woese, C.R.: Nature 226, 817 (1970)
Fuller, W., Hodgson, A.: ibid. 215, 817 (1967)
Crick, F.H.C.: J. Mol. Biol. 38, 367 (1968)
Miller, S.L., Orgel, L.E.: The Origins of Life on Earth. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall 1973
Oró, J., Kimball, A.P.: Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 2, 407 (1960); Oró, J.: Nature 191, 1193 (1961)
Lewis, J.B., Doty, P.: ibid. 225, 510 (1970)
Uhlenbeck, O.C., Baller, J., Doty, P.: ibid. 225, 508 (1970)
Grosjean, H., Söll, D.G., Crothers, D.M.: J. Mol. Biol. 103, 499 (1976)
Coutts, S.M.: Biochim. Biophys. Acta 232, 94 (1971)
Kvenvolden, K.A., et al.: Nature 228, 923 (1970)
Oró, J., et al.: ibid. 230, 105 (1971); Cromin, J.R., Moore, C.B.: Science 172, 1327 (1971)
Rossman, M.G., Moras, D., Olsen, K.W.: Nature 250, 194 (1974)
Walker, G.W.R.: BioSystems 9, 139 (1977)
Biebricher, Ch., Eigen, M., Luce, R.: in preparation
Erhan, S., Greller, L.D., Rasco, B.: Z. Naturforsch. 32c, 413 (1977)
Dayhoff, M.O.: Atlas of Protein Sequence and Structure, Vol. 5, Suppl. 2, p. 271 (1976)
Jukes, T.H.: Nature 246, 22 (1973); Holmquist, R., Jukes, T.H., Pangburn, S.: J. Mol. Biol. 78, 91 (1973)
Fox, G.E., et al.: Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 74, 4537 (1977)
Uramer, F.R., et al.: J. Mol. Biol. 89, 719 (1974)
Chothia, C.: ibid 75, 295 (1973)
Chou, P.Y., Fasman, G.D.: ibid. 115, 135 (1977)
Levitt, M., Chothia, C.: Nature 261, 552 (1976)
Gutte, B.: J. Biol. Chem. 252, 663 (1977)
Rigler, R.: personal communication; Rigler, R., Ehrenberg, M., Wintermeyer, W., in: Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics Vol. 24, p.219
Olson, T., et al.: J. Mol. Biol. 102, 193 (1976)
Crothers, D.M., Seno, T., Söll, D.G.: Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 69, 3063 (1972)
Biebricher, Ch., Druminski, M.: ibid (submitted)
Wahba, A.J., et al.: J. Biol. Chem. 249, 3314 (1974)
Blumenthal, T., Lauders, T.A., Weber, K.: Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 69, 1313 (1972)
Biebricher, Ch.: in preparation
Meinhardt, H., in: Synergetics, p. 214 (ed. H. Haken), Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1977
Fox, S.W., Dose, K.: Molecular Evolution and the Origin of Life. San Francisco: Freeman 1972
Dose, K., Rauchfuss, H.: Chemische Evolution und der Ursprung lebender Systeme. Stuttgart: Wissensch. Verlagsges. 1975
Onsager, L., in: Quantum Statistical Mechanics in Natural Sciences, p. 1 (ed. B. Kursunoglu). New York-London: Plenum Press 1973
Lasaga, A.C., Holland, H.D., Dwyer, M.O.: Science 174, 53 (1971)
Schmidt, E.: Z. Ges. Eis- u. Kälteindustrie 44, 163 (1937)
Kuhn, H., in: Synergetics, p. 200 (ed. H. Haken). Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1977
Plato: Timaios
Schuster, P., Sigmund, K.: in preparation
Urbanke, W., Maass, G.: to be published
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was greatly stimulated by discussion with Francis Crick, Stanley Miller, and Lesile orgel; which for us meant some ‘selection pressure’ to look for more continuity in molecular evolution. Especiely helpful were suggestions and comments by Ch. Biebricher, I. Epstein, B. Gutte, D. Pörschke, K., Sigmund, P. Wolley, and R. Wolff.
The work at Vienna was supported by the Austrian ‘Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung’ (Project Nr. 3502). Ruthlid Winkler-Oswatitsch designed most of the illustrations and was always a patient and critical discussant. Thanks to all for their help.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Eigen, M., Schuster, P. The Hypercycle. Naturwissenschaften 65, 341–369 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00439699
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00439699