Autocatalytic networks: the transition from molecular self-replication to molecular ecosystems.
The transition from inanimate to animate chemistry is thought to involve self-organised networks of molecular species whose collective emergent property gives rise to the overall characteristics of living systems. In the past, simple autocatalytic networks have been constructed that display basic forms of cooperative behaviour. These include reciprocal catalysis, autocratic, and hypercyclic networks. The design and emergent properties of these novel molecular networks are reviewed here.
Department of Chemistry, Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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Ghadiri
D002384:Catalysis; D002625:Chemistry, Organic / Q000379:methods*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry
D004798:Enzymes; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA