Coacervates meet the RNP-world: liquid-liquid phase separation and the emergence of biological compartmentalization

Abstract

Understanding the emergence of biological compartmentalization in the context of the primordial soup is essential for unraveling the origin of life on Earth. This study revisits the classical coacervate theory, examining its historical development, supporting evidence, and major criticisms. Building upon Alexandr Oparin's foundational ideas, we propose an updated perspective in which the first biological compartments emerged through the formation of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) condensates—complexes of intrinsically disordered peptides and RNAs—via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Drawing on contemporary insights into how LLPS mediates intracellular organization, we argue that such membraneless RNP-based aggregates could have facilitated biochemical reactions in the aqueous environments of early Earth. By reinterpreting Oparin's coacervates through the lens of modern molecular biology, this study offers a renewed framework for understanding the origin of biological compartmentalization within the RNP-world hypothesis.