RNA-DNA-Protein-Environment Model: A Simulation Study Challenging the RNA World Hypothesis

The RNA World Hypothesis posits that RNA alone initiated life through self-replication and catalysis. However, its fragility under prebiotic conditions—such as UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, and reactive oxygen species—casts doubt on its sufficiency. This study introduces the RNA-DNA-Protein-Environment (RDPE) model, proposing that RNA, DNA, and proteins emerged and interacted randomly in a prebiotic milieu, with environmental pressures, time, and natural selection shaping their evolution by accumulating beneficial changes rather than transferring information directly. Using non-linear simulations across five systems—enucleated Xenopus oocytes, nucleated oocytes, cytoplasts, liposomes, and free mitochondria—we demonstrate how RNA’s mutability, DNA’s stability, and proteins’ protective roles, driven by environmental dynamics, could have fueled prebiotic evolution. This model, supported by statistical validation and proposed experiments with 1300 Xenopus oocytes, offers a robust alternative to the RNA World Hypothesis, emphasizing a gradual, selection-driven process over a singular molecular origin.