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ABSTRACT RNA performs important cellular functions in contemporary life forms. Its ability to act both as a catalyst and a storage mechanism for genetic information is also an important part

of the RNA world hypothesis. Compartmentalization within modern cells allows the local concentration of RNA to be controlled and it has been suggested that this was also important in early

life forms. Here, we mimic intracellular compartmentalization and macromolecular crowding by partitioning RNA in an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). We show that the concentration of RNA is

enriched by up to 3,000-fold in the dextran-rich phase of a polyethylene glycol/dextran ATPS and demonstrate that this can lead to approximately 70-fold increase in the rate of ribozyme

cleavage. This rate enhancement can be tuned by the relative volumes of the two phases in the ATPS. Our observations support the importance of compartmentalization in the attainment of

function in an RNA World as well as in modern biology. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS

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institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS BIOMOLECULAR CONDENSATES – EXTANT RELICS OR EVOLVING MICROCOMPARTMENTS? Article

Open access 21 June 2023 MODULAR RNA MOTIFS FOR ORTHOGONAL PHASE SEPARATED COMPARTMENTS Article Open access 30 July 2024 RNA CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FORM AND FUNCTION OF BIOMOLECULAR

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(1961). CAS  Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (grant CHE-0750196), co-funded by the MCB division. The authors

thank members of the Bevilacqua and Keating laboratories for helpful comments on the manuscript. The authors also thank D. Dewey and M. Andes-Koback for help with fluorescence microscopy.

AUTHOR INFORMATION Author notes * Rosalynn C. Molden Present address: Present Address: Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA, AUTHORS AND

AFFILIATIONS * Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA Christopher A. Strulson, Rosalynn C. Molden, Christine D. Keating & 

Philip C. Bevilacqua * Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA Christopher A. Strulson & Philip C. Bevilacqua

Authors * Christopher A. Strulson View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Rosalynn C. Molden View author publications You can also search for

this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Christine D. Keating View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Philip C. Bevilacqua View author

publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CONTRIBUTIONS C.A.S. and R.C.M. performed the experiments. All authors contributed ideas, discussed the results, and

wrote the manuscript. CORRESPONDING AUTHORS Correspondence to Christine D. Keating or Philip C. Bevilacqua. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no competing financial

interests. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary information (PDF 1487 kb) RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE

Strulson, C., Molden, R., Keating, C. _et al._ RNA catalysis through compartmentalization. _Nature Chem_ 4, 941–946 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1466 Download citation * Received:

29 March 2012 * Accepted: 23 August 2012 * Published: 14 October 2012 * Issue Date: November 2012 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1466 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following

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