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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1987 Apr;84(7):1978–1980. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.7.1978

Basic protein enhances the incorporation of DNA into lipid vesicles: model for the formation of primordial cells.

D G Jay, W Gilbert
PMCID: PMC304565  PMID: 3470772

Abstract

DNA can be encapsulated into lipid vesicles formed by sonication. The presence of a basic protein, lysozyme, enhances the incorporation 100-fold above the level expected by random trapping. This is demonstrated by the ability of the lipid vesicles to protect DNA from digestion with DNase. Such an enhancement of nuclei acid incorporation into vesicles by basic polypeptides and the sharply increased concentration of these macromolecules in the internal volume may have been advantageous in prebiotic evolution.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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