Which came first, DNA or the proteins needed by DNA, which can only be produced by DNA?

Question

Which came first, DNA or the proteins needed by DNA, which can only be produced by DNA?

Answer 1

Neither.

Self replicating genetic information exists in nature. Initial polymers of bases were completely random and had nothing to do with traits within protocells. Competition really kicked off when proteins that fitted the specific chains of information. Also RNA much?

Get out of biology troll.

Answer 2

The first two answers did touch upon the idea of random nucleotide sequences becoming enzymatic-like.

You will see in the second answer that he/she choose RNA to be the main attributor for making other RNA sequences.

Let me explain.

RNA can form secondary structures and become enzymatic.

Now think, back at that time, there were many ions, molecules, and other compounds in the ocenas, ponds, or puddles. Well, when these so called "nucleotides*" fomred a chain, the Mg2+ ions were wrapped around it. Now if you compare RNA polemerase with these primitive enzymes, you will see that the catalytic center is similiar to RNAP and this enzyme will produce more RNA chains.

The making of DNA is still unknown, but you can hypothesize that the two RNA strands came together to form a double stranded RNA, which would be more stable, energy wise. But as time went on, this dsRNA became more stable in nucleotide structure and came out to be DNA.

Note: this is just my idea of what happened in general. It may not be correct, but logically it makes sense.

* "nucleotide" term may not be the same exact structure that we now know today.

Answer 3

RNA, since it can act as an enzyme and therefore act as the first step of the chain.

Answer 4

Until we can successfully replicate the abiogenesis process, we can never really test and the many hypothesis that are available. So all people can do is speculate.

Answer 5

In the beginning, there was RNA, after millions of years, evolution allowed 2 RNAS to dance in a helix, thus DNA, Uracil was converted to Thymine. Two complementary strands allowed for faithful replication in that if you know one strand, then you know the complementary strand.