RNA + peptide editing in chemosensory proteins (CSPs), a new theory for
the origin of life on Earth’s crust
Abstract
“RNA + peptide editing are two successive independent mechanisms
required to generate a plethora of new functional isoforms in a wide
range of binding protein families”. I discuss the characteristics of
‘Chemosensory Proteins’ CSPs in insects and their potential role in life
origins and evolution, review diversity of CSP proteins, and present a
fresh view on the molecular evolution and origins of life. I
specifically address the relationship between the observed mutations in
insect CSPs and the origin of life. The group in Jinan discovered a high
level of pinpoint mutations on the RNA and peptide sequences of Bombyx
mori chemosensory proteins (BmorCSPs) and odor-binding proteins
(BmorOBPs). A new phylogenetic analysis of peptide mutations is
presented, adding to the pioneering work, which discovered that binding
protein mutations might have spread from bacteria to moths and other
insect groups. Then, emphasis is placed on specific mechanisms of
non-random mutations that alter α-helical profiling and introduce new
functions at the protein level. I describe observed BmorCSP mutations in
several insect species that occur through various mechanisms such as RNA
editing and/or protein recoding in the ribosome, and I propose that such
mechanisms may have played a role in the emergence and evolution of life
on Earth’s crust. RNA + Peptide lays the groundwork for the proposed RNA
Peptide World theory of life’s origin and evolution on Earth’s crust,
which is stated further below.