Departure from randomness: Evolution of self-replicators that can self-sort through steric zipper formation

Marcel J Eleveld; Juntian Wu; Kai Liu; Jim Ottelé; Omer Markovitch; Armin Kiani; Lukas C Herold; Alessia Lasorsa; Patrick C A van der Wel; Sijbren Otto

doi:10.1016/j.chempr.2024.11.012

Departure from randomness: Evolution of self-replicators that can self-sort through steric zipper formation

Chem. 2025 May 8;11(5):None. doi: 10.1016/j.chempr.2024.11.012.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Center for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
² Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
³ Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98154, USA.
⁴ Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.

Abstract

Darwinian evolution of self-replicating entities most likely played a key role in the emergence of life from inanimate matter. For evolution to occur, self-replicators must (1) have structural space accessible to them, (2) occupy only part of it at any time, and (3) navigate it through mutation and selection. We describe a system of self-replicating hexameric macrocycles formed upon the mixing of two building blocks and occupying a subset of possible sequences. Specific interactions, most likely through steric zipper formation, favor a hexamer sequence where the two blocks alternate. Under different replication-destruction regimes, distinct replicator mutants are selected. With non-selective destruction (via outflow), the fastest replicators dominate. With chemically mediated, selective destruction, a mutant that balances replication speed and resistance to reduction by steric zipper formation becomes dominant. This system demonstrates a rudimentary form of Darwinian evolution, where replicators adapt to changing selection pressures through mutation and selection.

Keywords: Darwinian evolution; dynamic combinatorial chemistry; mutation; natural selection; origin of life; self-assembly; self-replication; self-sorting; synthetic life; systems chemistry.