RNP world

The RNP world is a hypothesized intermediate period in the origin of life characterized by the existence of ribonucleoproteins.

This transition paved the way for DNA to replace RNA as the primary store of genetic information, leading to life as we know it.

Principle of concept Thomas Cech, in 2009, proposed the existence of the RNP world after his observation of apparent differences in the composition of catalysts in the two most fundamental processes that maintain and express genetic systems.

However, the mRNA processes of gene expression via splicing and protein synthesis are catalyzed by RNP complexes (the spliceosome and ribosome).

The older RNA molecules were originally self-catalyzed through ribozymes, which evolved the assistance of proteins to form RNP.