Membrane bound geranylated RNAs establish a primitive peptide synthesis system

The origin of an RNA-based translation system necessitates a specific interaction of certain RNAs with defined amino acids. This must have happened in a protocellular environment where these molecules were concentrated so that a connection between the encoding RNA and the amino acids could be established that allowed the formation of peptides. A model of how such a system could have evolved does not exist. Here we show that geranylated non-canonical nucleotides that are potential fossils in an early RNA world, allow RNA to anchor to lipid membranes. This creates RNA-geranylating lipids on which a primitive peptide synthesis can then operate with rudimentary chemoselectivity. The system creates a protocellular model of how RNAs and amino acids could have been mutually selected based on their physicochemical properties.