1
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Edri R, Williams LD, Frenkel-Pinter M. From Catalysis of Evolution to Evolution of Catalysis. Acc Chem Res 2024. [PMID: 39373892 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusThe mystery of the origins of life is one of the most difficult yet intriguing challenges to which humanity has grappled. How did biopolymers emerge in the absence of enzymes (evolved biocatalysts), and how did long-lasting chemical evolution find a path to the highly selective complex biology that we observe today? In this paper, we discuss a chemical framework that explores the very roots of catalysis, demonstrating how standard catalytic activity based on chemical and physical principles can evolve into complex machineries. We provide several examples of how prebiotic catalysis by small molecules can be exploited to facilitate polymerization, which in biology has transformed the nature of catalysis. Thus, catalysis evolved, and evolution was catalyzed, during the transformation of prebiotic chemistry to biochemistry. Traditionally, a catalyst is defined as a substance that (i) speeds up a chemical reaction by lowering activation energy through different chemical mechanisms and (ii) is not consumed during the course of the reaction. However, considering prebiotic chemistry, which involved a highly diverse chemical space (i.e., high number of potential reactants and products) and constantly changing environment that lacked highly sophisticated catalytic machinery, we stress here that a more primitive, broader definition should be considered. Here, we consider a catalyst as any chemical species that lowers activation energy. We further discuss various demonstrations of how simple prebiotic molecules such as hydroxy acids and mercaptoacids promote the formation of peptide bonds via energetically favored exchange reactions. Even though the small molecules are partially regenerated and partially retained within the resulting oligomers, these prebiotic catalysts fulfill their primary role. Catalysis by metal ions and in complex chemical mixtures is also highlighted. We underline how chemical evolution is primarily dictated by kinetics rather than thermodynamics and demonstrate a novel concept to support this notion. Moreover, we propose a new perspective on the role of water in prebiotic catalysis. The role of water as simply a "medium" obscures its importance as an active participant in the chemistry of life, specifically as a very efficient catalyst and as a participant in many chemical transformations. Here we highlight the unusual contribution of water to increasing complexification over the course of chemical evolution. We discuss possible pathways by which prebiotic catalysis promoted chemical selection and complexification. Taken together, this Account draws a connection line between prebiotic catalysis and contemporary biocatalysis and demonstrates that the fundamental elements of chemical catalysis are embedded within today's biocatalysts. This Account illustrates how the evolution of catalysis was intertwined with chemical evolution from the very beginning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rotem Edri
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, United States
- Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, United States
| | - Moran Frenkel-Pinter
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
- The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
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2
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Mittal S, Nisler C, Szostak JW. Simulations predict preferred Mg 2+ coordination in a nonenzymatic primer-extension reaction center. Biophys J 2024; 123:1579-1591. [PMID: 38702884 PMCID: PMC11214020 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanism by which genetic information was copied prior to the evolution of ribozymes is of great interest because of its importance to the origin of life. The most effective known process for the nonenzymatic copying of an RNA template is primer extension by a two-step pathway in which 2-aminoimidazole-activated nucleotides first react with each other to form an imidazolium-bridged intermediate that subsequently reacts with the primer. Reaction kinetics, structure-activity relationships, and X-ray crystallography have provided insight into the overall reaction mechanism, but many puzzles remain. In particular, high concentrations of Mg2+ are required for efficient primer extension, but the mechanism by which Mg2+ accelerates primer extension remains unknown. By analogy with the mechanism of DNA and RNA polymerases, a role for Mg2+ in facilitating the deprotonation of the primer 3'-hydroxyl is often assumed, but no catalytic metal ion is seen in crystal structures of the primer-extension complex. To explore the potential effects of Mg2+ binding in the reaction center, we performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of a series of modeled complexes in which a Mg2+ ion was placed in the reaction center with inner-sphere coordination with different sets of functional groups. Our simulations suggest that coordination of a Mg2+ ion with both O3' of the terminal primer nucleotide and the pro-Sp nonbridging oxygen of the reactive phosphate of an imidazolium-bridged dinucleotide would help to pre-organize the structure of the primer/template substrate complex to favor the primer-extension reaction. Our results suggest that the catalytic metal ion may play an important role in overcoming electrostatic repulsion between a deprotonated O3' and the reactive phosphate of the bridged dinucleotide and lead to testable predictions of the mode of Mg2+ binding that is most relevant to catalysis of primer extension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shriyaa Mittal
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Collin Nisler
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jack W Szostak
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
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3
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Maguire OR, Smokers IBA, Oosterom BG, Zheliezniak A, Huck WTS. A Prebiotic Precursor to Life's Phosphate Transfer System with an ATP Analog and Histidyl Peptide Organocatalysts. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:7839-7849. [PMID: 38448161 PMCID: PMC10958518 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c01156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Biochemistry is dependent upon enzyme catalysts accelerating key reactions. At the origin of life, prebiotic chemistry must have incorporated catalytic reactions. While this would have yielded much needed amplification of certain reaction products, it would come at the possible cost of rapidly depleting the high energy molecules that acted as chemical fuels. Biochemistry solves this problem by combining kinetically stable and thermodynamically activated molecules (e.g., ATP) with enzyme catalysts. Here, we demonstrate a prebiotic phosphate transfer system involving an ATP analog (imidazole phosphate) and histidyl peptides, which function as organocatalytic enzyme analogs. We demonstrate that histidyl peptides catalyze phosphorylations via a phosphorylated histidyl intermediate. We integrate these histidyl-catalyzed phosphorylations into a complete prebiotic scenario whereby inorganic phosphate is incorporated into organic compounds though physicochemical wet-dry cycles. Our work demonstrates a plausible system for the catalyzed production of phosphorylated compounds on the early Earth and how organocatalytic peptides, as enzyme precursors, could have played an important role in this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver R. Maguire
- Institute for Molecules and
Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, Nijmegen AJ 6525, The Netherlands
| | - Iris B. A. Smokers
- Institute for Molecules and
Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, Nijmegen AJ 6525, The Netherlands
| | - Bob G. Oosterom
- Institute for Molecules and
Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, Nijmegen AJ 6525, The Netherlands
| | - Alla Zheliezniak
- Institute for Molecules and
Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, Nijmegen AJ 6525, The Netherlands
| | - Wilhelm T. S. Huck
- Institute for Molecules and
Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, Nijmegen AJ 6525, The Netherlands
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4
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Abstract
Covering: up to 2022The report provides a broad approach to deciphering the evolution of coenzyme biosynthetic pathways. Here, these various pathways are analyzed with respect to the coenzymes required for this purpose. Coenzymes whose biosynthesis relies on a large number of coenzyme-mediated reactions probably appeared on the scene at a later stage of biological evolution, whereas the biosyntheses of pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) and nicotinamide (NAD+) require little additional coenzymatic support and are therefore most likely very ancient biosynthetic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kirschning
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Leibniz University Hannover, Schneiderberg 1B, D-30167 Hannover, Germany.
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5
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Abstract
α-Amino acids are essential molecular constituents of life, twenty of which are privileged because they are encoded by the ribosomal machinery. The question remains open as to why this number and why this 20 in particular, an almost philosophical question that cannot be conclusively resolved. They are closely related to the evolution of the genetic code and whether nucleic acids, amino acids, and peptides appeared simultaneously and were available under prebiotic conditions when the first self-sufficient complex molecular system emerged on Earth. This report focuses on prebiotic and metabolic aspects of amino acids and proteins starting with meteorites, followed by their formation, including peptides, under plausible prebiotic conditions, and the major biosynthetic pathways in the various kingdoms of life. Coenzymes play a key role in the present analysis in that amino acid metabolism is linked to glycolysis and different variants of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA, rTCA, and the incomplete horseshoe version) as well as the biosynthesis of the most important coenzymes. Thus, the report opens additional perspectives and facets on the molecular evolution of primary metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kirschning
- Institute of Organic ChemistryLeibniz University HannoverSchneiderberg 1B30167HannoverGermany
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6
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Valer L, Rossetto D, Parkkila T, Sebastianelli L, Guella G, Hendricks AL, Cowan JA, Sang L, Mansy SS. Histidine Ligated Iron-Sulfur Peptides. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200202. [PMID: 35674331 PMCID: PMC9400863 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Iron-sulfur clusters are thought to be ancient cofactors that could have played a role in early protometabolic systems. Thus far, redox active, prebiotically plausible iron-sulfur clusters have always contained cysteine ligands to the cluster. However, extant iron-sulfur proteins can be found to exploit other modes of binding, including ligation by histidine residues, as seen with [2Fe-2S] Rieske and MitoNEET proteins. Here, we investigated the ability of cysteine- and histidine-containing peptides to coordinate a mononuclear Fe2+ center and a [2Fe-2S] cluster and compare their properties with purified iron-sulfur proteins. The iron-sulfur peptides were characterized by UV-vis, circular dichroism, and paramagnetic NMR spectroscopies and cyclic voltammetry. Small (≤6 amino acids) peptides can coordinate [2Fe-2S] clusters through a combination of cysteine and histidine residues with similar reduction potentials as their corresponding proteins. Such complexes may have been important for early cell-like systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Valer
- D-CIBIOUniversity of Trentovia Sommarive 938123Trento 28123Italy
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Alberta11227 Saskatchewan DriveEdmontonT6G 2G2AlbertaCanada
| | - Daniele Rossetto
- D-CIBIOUniversity of Trentovia Sommarive 938123Trento 28123Italy
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Alberta11227 Saskatchewan DriveEdmontonT6G 2G2AlbertaCanada
| | - Taylor Parkkila
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Alberta11227 Saskatchewan DriveEdmontonT6G 2G2AlbertaCanada
| | - Lorenzo Sebastianelli
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Alberta11227 Saskatchewan DriveEdmontonT6G 2G2AlbertaCanada
| | - Graziano Guella
- Department of PhysicsUniversity of TrentoVia Sommarive 14Trento38123Italy
| | - Amber L. Hendricks
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryThe Ohio State University100 West 18th AveColumbusOH 43210USA
| | - James A. Cowan
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryThe Ohio State University100 West 18th AveColumbusOH 43210USA
| | - Lingzi Sang
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Alberta11227 Saskatchewan DriveEdmontonT6G 2G2AlbertaCanada
| | - Sheref S. Mansy
- D-CIBIOUniversity of Trentovia Sommarive 938123Trento 28123Italy
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Alberta11227 Saskatchewan DriveEdmontonT6G 2G2AlbertaCanada
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7
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Madrigal-Trejo D, Villanueva-Barragán PS, Zamudio-Ramírez R, Cervantes-de la Cruz KE, Mejía-Luna I, Chacón-Baca E, Negrón-Mendoza A, Ramos-Bernal S, Heredia-Barbero A. Histidine Self-assembly and Stability on Mineral Surfaces as a Model of Prebiotic Chemical Evolution: An Experimental and Computational Approach. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2021; 51:117-130. [PMID: 33788055 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-021-09606-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The abiotic synthesis of histidine under experimental prebiotic conditions has proven to be chemically promising and plausible. Within this context, the present results suggest that histidine amino acid may function as a simple prebiotic catalyst able to enhance amino acid polymerization. This work describes an experimental and computational approach to the self-assembly and stabilization of DL-histidine on mineral surfaces using antigorite ((Mg, Fe)3Si2O5(OH)4), pyrite (FeS2), and aragonite (CaCO3) as representative minerals of prebiotic scenarios, such as meteorites, and subaerial and submarine hydrothermal systems. Experimental results were obtained through polarized-light microscopy, IR spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Molecular dynamics was performed through computational simulations with the MM + method in HyperChem software. IR spectra suggest the presence of peptide bonds in the antigorite-histidine and aragonite-histidine assemblages with the presence of amide I and amide II vibration bands. The FTIR second derivative inspection supports this observation. Moreover, DSC data shows histidine stabilization in the presence of antigorite and aragonite by changes in histidine thermodynamic properties, particularly an increase in histidine decomposition temperature (272ºC in antigorite and 275ºC in aragonite). Results from molecular dynamics are consistent with DSC data, suggesting an antigorite-histidine closer interaction with decreased molecular distances (cca. 5.5 Å) between the amino acid and the crystal surface. On the whole, the experimental and computational outcomes support the role of mineral surfaces in prebiotic chemical evolution as enhancers of organic stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Madrigal-Trejo
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Física, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 70-407, C.P. 04510 Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, México.,Laboratorio de Evolución Química, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - P S Villanueva-Barragán
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Física, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 70-407, C.P. 04510 Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, México.,Laboratorio de Evolución Química, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - R Zamudio-Ramírez
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Física, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 70-407, C.P. 04510 Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, México.,Laboratorio de Evolución Química, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - K E Cervantes-de la Cruz
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Física, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 70-407, C.P. 04510 Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, México.,Departamento de Física de Plasmas e Interacción de Radiación con Materia, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - I Mejía-Luna
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Física, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 70-407, C.P. 04510 Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, México
| | - E Chacón-Baca
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias de la Tierra, Exhacienda de Guadalupe, Carretera a Cerro Prieto km 8, Linares, Nuevo León, C.P. 67700, México
| | - A Negrón-Mendoza
- Laboratorio de Evolución Química, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - S Ramos-Bernal
- Departamento de Física de Plasmas e Interacción de Radiación con Materia, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, México
| | - A Heredia-Barbero
- Laboratorio de Evolución Química, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, Ciudad de México, México.
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8
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Frenkel-Pinter M, Sargon AB, Glass JB, Hud NV, Williams LD. Transition metals enhance prebiotic depsipeptide oligomerization reactions involving histidine. RSC Adv 2021; 11:3534-3538. [PMID: 35424306 PMCID: PMC8694183 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra07965k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Biochemistry exhibits an intense dependence on metals. Here we show that during dry-down reactions, zinc and a few other transition metals increase the yield of long histidine-containing depsipeptides, which contain both ester and amide linkages. Our results suggest that interactions of proto-peptides with metal ions influenced early chemical evolution. Transition metals enhance prebiotic proto-peptide oligomerization reactions through direct association with histidine.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Moran Frenkel-Pinter
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution USA .,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA.,NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA
| | - Alyssa B Sargon
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution USA .,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA
| | - Jennifer B Glass
- NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA.,School of Earth and Atmospheric Science, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA
| | - Nicholas V Hud
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution USA .,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA.,NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution USA .,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA.,NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 USA
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9
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Frenkel-Pinter M, Haynes JW, Mohyeldin AM, C M, Sargon AB, Petrov AS, Krishnamurthy R, Hud NV, Williams LD, Leman LJ. Mutually stabilizing interactions between proto-peptides and RNA. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3137. [PMID: 32561731 PMCID: PMC7305224 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16891-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The close synergy between peptides and nucleic acids in current biology is suggestive of a functional co-evolution between the two polymers. Here we show that cationic proto-peptides (depsipeptides and polyesters), either produced as mixtures from plausibly prebiotic dry-down reactions or synthetically prepared in pure form, can engage in direct interactions with RNA resulting in mutual stabilization. Cationic proto-peptides significantly increase the thermal stability of folded RNA structures. In turn, RNA increases the lifetime of a depsipeptide by >30-fold. Proto-peptides containing the proteinaceous amino acids Lys, Arg, or His adjacent to backbone ester bonds generally promote RNA duplex thermal stability to a greater magnitude than do analogous sequences containing non-proteinaceous residues. Our findings support a model in which tightly-intertwined biological dependencies of RNA and protein reflect a long co-evolutionary history that began with rudimentary, mutually-stabilizing interactions at early stages of polypeptide and nucleic acid co-existence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moran Frenkel-Pinter
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.,NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jay W Haynes
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Ahmad M Mohyeldin
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Martin C
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Alyssa B Sargon
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Anton S Petrov
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.,NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Nicholas V Hud
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA. .,NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Luke J Leman
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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10
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Frenkel-Pinter M, Samanta M, Ashkenasy G, Leman LJ. Prebiotic Peptides: Molecular Hubs in the Origin of Life. Chem Rev 2020; 120:4707-4765. [PMID: 32101414 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The fundamental roles that peptides and proteins play in today's biology makes it almost indisputable that peptides were key players in the origin of life. Insofar as it is appropriate to extrapolate back from extant biology to the prebiotic world, one must acknowledge the critical importance that interconnected molecular networks, likely with peptides as key components, would have played in life's origin. In this review, we summarize chemical processes involving peptides that could have contributed to early chemical evolution, with an emphasis on molecular interactions between peptides and other classes of organic molecules. We first summarize mechanisms by which amino acids and similar building blocks could have been produced and elaborated into proto-peptides. Next, non-covalent interactions of peptides with other peptides as well as with nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates, metal ions, and aromatic molecules are discussed in relation to the possible roles of such interactions in chemical evolution of structure and function. Finally, we describe research involving structural alternatives to peptides and covalent adducts between amino acids/peptides and other classes of molecules. We propose that ample future breakthroughs in origin-of-life chemistry will stem from investigations of interconnected chemical systems in which synergistic interactions between different classes of molecules emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moran Frenkel-Pinter
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, https://centerforchemicalevolution.com/.,School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Mousumi Samanta
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Gonen Ashkenasy
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Luke J Leman
- NSF/NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, https://centerforchemicalevolution.com/.,Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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11
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Frenkel-Pinter M, Haynes JW, C M, Petrov AS, Burcar BT, Krishnamurthy R, Hud NV, Leman LJ, Williams LD. Selective incorporation of proteinaceous over nonproteinaceous cationic amino acids in model prebiotic oligomerization reactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:16338-16346. [PMID: 31358633 PMCID: PMC6697887 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1904849116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous long-standing questions in origins-of-life research center on the history of biopolymers. For example, how and why did nature select the polypeptide backbone and proteinaceous side chains? Depsipeptides, containing both ester and amide linkages, have been proposed as ancestors of polypeptides. In this paper, we investigate cationic depsipeptides that form under mild dry-down reactions. We compare the oligomerization of various cationic amino acids, including the cationic proteinaceous amino acids (lysine, Lys; arginine, Arg; and histidine, His), along with nonproteinaceous analogs of Lys harboring fewer methylene groups in their side chains. These analogs, which have been discussed as potential prebiotic alternatives to Lys, are ornithine, 2,4-diaminobutyric acid, and 2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Orn, Dab, and Dpr). We observe that the proteinaceous amino acids condense more extensively than these nonproteinaceous amino acids. Orn and Dab readily cyclize into lactams, while Dab and Dpr condense less efficiently. Furthermore, the proteinaceous amino acids exhibit more selective oligomerization through their α-amines relative to their side-chain groups. This selectivity results in predominantly linear depsipeptides in which the amino acids are α-amine-linked, analogous to today's proteins. These results suggest a chemical basis for the selection of Lys, Arg, and His over other cationic amino acids for incorporation into proto-proteins on the early Earth. Given that electrostatics are key elements of protein-RNA and protein-DNA interactions in extant life, we hypothesize that cationic side chains incorporated into proto-peptides, as reported in this study, served in a variety of functions with ancestral nucleic acid polymers in the early stages of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moran Frenkel-Pinter
- National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA 30332
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
- NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Jay W Haynes
- National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA 30332
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Martin C
- National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA 30332
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Anton S Petrov
- National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA 30332
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
- NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Bradley T Burcar
- National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA 30332
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA 30332
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Nicholas V Hud
- National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA 30332
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Luke J Leman
- National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA 30332;
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA 30332;
- School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
- NASA Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
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12
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Schreiber A, Huber MC, Schiller SM. Prebiotic Protocell Model Based on Dynamic Protein Membranes Accommodating Anabolic Reactions. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:9593-9610. [PMID: 31287709 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The nature of the first prebiotic compartments and their possible minimal molecular composition is of great importance in the origin of life scenarios. Current protocell model membranes are proposed to be lipid-based. This paradigm has several shortcomings such as limited membrane stability of monoacyl lipid-based membranes (e.g., fatty acids), missing pathways to synthesize protocell membrane components (e.g., phospholipids) under early earth conditions, and the requirement for different classes of molecules for the formation of compartments and the catalysis of reactions. Amino acids on the other hand are known to arise and persist with remarkable abundance under early earth conditions since the fundamental Miller-Urey experiments. They were also postulated early to form protocellular structures, for example, proteinoid capsules. Here, we present a protocell model constituted by membranes assembled from amphiphilic proteins based on prebiotic amino acids. Self-assembled dynamic protein membrane-based compartments (PMBCs) are impressively stable and compatible with prevalent cellular membrane constituents forming protein-only or protein-lipid hybrid membranes. They can embed processes essential for extant living cells, such as enclosure of molecules, membrane fusion, phase separation, and complex biosynthetic elements from modern cells demonstrating "upward" compatibility. Our findings suggest that prebiotic PMBCs represent a new type of protocell as a possible ancestor of current lipid-based cells. The presented prebiotic PMBC model can be used to design artificial cells, important for the study of structural, catalytic, and evolutionary pathways related to the emergence of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Schreiber
- Zentrum für Biosystemanalyse (ZBSA) , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg , 7 Habsburgerstrasse 49 , D-79104 Freiburg , Germany
- Faculty of Biology , University of Freiburg , Schänzlestrasse 1 , D-79104 Freiburg , Germany
| | - Matthias C Huber
- Zentrum für Biosystemanalyse (ZBSA) , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg , 7 Habsburgerstrasse 49 , D-79104 Freiburg , Germany
- Faculty of Biology , University of Freiburg , Schänzlestrasse 1 , D-79104 Freiburg , Germany
| | - Stefan M Schiller
- Zentrum für Biosystemanalyse (ZBSA) , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg , 7 Habsburgerstrasse 49 , D-79104 Freiburg , Germany
- Faculty of Biology , University of Freiburg , Schänzlestrasse 1 , D-79104 Freiburg , Germany
- BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies , University of Freiburg , Schänzlestrasse 18 , D-79104 Freiburg , Germany
- IMTEK Department of Microsystems Engineering , University of Freiburg , Georges-Köhler-Allee 103 , D-79110 Freiburg , Germany
- Cluster of Excellence livMatS @ FIT-Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies , University of Freiburg , Georges-Köhler-Allee 105 , D-79110 Freiburg , Germany
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13
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Evolutionary convergence in the biosyntheses of the imidazole moieties of histidine and purines. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196349. [PMID: 29698445 PMCID: PMC5919458 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The imidazole group is an ubiquitous chemical motif present in several key types of biomolecules. It is a structural moiety of purines, and plays a central role in biological catalysis as part of the side-chain of histidine, the amino acid most frequently found in the catalytic site of enzymes. Histidine biosynthesis starts with both ATP and the pentose phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP), which is also the precursor for the de novo synthesis of purines. These two anabolic pathways are also connected by the imidazole intermediate 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribotide (AICAR), which is synthesized in both routes but used only in purine biosynthesis. Rather surprisingly, the imidazole moieties of histidine and purines are synthesized by different, non-homologous enzymes. As discussed here, this phenomenon can be understood as a case of functional molecular convergence. Results In this work, we analyze these polyphyletic processes and argue that the independent origin of the corresponding enzymes is best explained by the differences in the function of each of the molecules to which the imidazole moiety is attached. Since the imidazole present in histidine is a catalytic moiety, its chemical arrangement allows it to act as an acid or a base. On the contrary, the de novo biosynthesis of purines starts with an activated ribose and all the successive intermediates are ribotides, with the key β-glycosidic bondage joining the ribose and the imidazole moiety. This prevents purine ribonucleotides to exhibit any imidazole-dependent catalytic activity, and may have been the critical trait for the evolution of two separate imidazole-synthesizing-enzymes. We also suggest that, in evolutionary terms, the biosynthesis of purines predated that of histidine. Conclusions As reviewed here, other biosynthetic routes for imidazole molecules are also found in extant metabolism, including the autocatalytic cyclization that occurs during the formation of creatinine from creatine phosphate, as well as the internal cyclization of the Ala-Ser-Gly motif of some members of the ammonia-lyase and aminomutase families, that lead to the MIO cofactor. The diversity of imidazole-synthesizing pathways highlights the biological significance of this key chemical group, whose biosyntheses evolved independently several times.
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Raggi L, Bada JL, Lazcano A. On the lack of evolutionary continuity between prebiotic peptides and extant enzymes. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 18:20028-32. [PMID: 27121024 DOI: 10.1039/c6cp00793g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The significance of experiments that claim to simulate the properties of prebiotic small peptides and polypeptides as models of the polymers that may have preceded proteins is critically addressed. As discussed here, most of these experiments are based only on a small number of a larger set of amino acids that may have been present in the prebiotic environment, supported by both experimental simulations and the repertoire of organic compounds reported in carbonaceous chondrites. Model experiments with small peptides may offer some insights into the processes that contributed to generate the chemical environment leading to the emergence of informational oligomers, but not to the origin of proteins. The large body of circumstantial evidence indicating that catalytic RNA played a key role in the origin of protein synthesis during the early stages of cellular evolution implies that the emergence of the genetic code and of protein biosynthesis are no longer synonymous with the origin of life. Hence, reports on the abiotic synthesis of small catalytic peptides under potential prebiotic conditions do not provide information on the origin of triplet encoded protein biosynthesis, but in some cases may serve as models to understand the properties of the earliest proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Raggi
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-407, Cd. Universitaria, 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Jeffrey L Bada
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0212, USA
| | - Antonio Lazcano
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-407, Cd. Universitaria, 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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15
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Comprehensive reduction of amino acid set in a protein suggests the importance of prebiotic amino acids for stable proteins. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1227. [PMID: 29352156 PMCID: PMC5775292 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19561-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern organisms commonly use the same set of 20 genetically coded amino acids for protein synthesis with very few exceptions. However, earlier protein synthesis was plausibly much simpler than modern one and utilized only a limited set of amino acids. Nevertheless, few experimental tests of this issue with arbitrarily chosen amino acid sets had been reported prior to this report. Herein we comprehensively and systematically reduced the size of the amino acid set constituting an ancestral nucleoside kinase that was reconstructed in our previous study. We eventually found that two convergent sequences, each comprised of a 13-amino acid alphabet, folded into soluble, stable and catalytically active structures, even though their stabilities and activities were not as high as those of the parent protein. Notably, many but not all of the reduced-set amino acids coincide with those plausibly abundant in primitive Earth. The inconsistent amino acids appeared to be important for catalytic activity but not for stability. Therefore, our findings suggest that the prebiotically abundant amino acids were used for creating stable protein structures and other amino acids with functional side chains were recruited to achieve efficient catalysis.
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16
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Vázquez-Salazar A, Tan G, Stockton A, Fani R, Becerra A, Lazcano A. Can an Imidazole Be Formed from an Alanyl-Seryl-Glycine Tripeptide under Possible Prebiotic Conditions? ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2017; 47:345-354. [PMID: 27771860 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-016-9525-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The five-membered heterocyclic imidazole group, which is an essential component of purines, histidine and many cofactors, has been abiotically synthesized in different model experiments that attempt to simulate the prebiotic environment. The evolutionary significance of imidazoles is highlighted not only by its presence in nucleic acid components and in histidine, but also by experimental reports of its ability to restore the catalytic activity of ribozymes. However, as of today there are no reports of histidine in carbonaceous chondrites, and although the abiotic synthesis of His reported by Shen et al. (1987, 1990a) proceeds via an Amadori rearrangement, like in the biosynthesis of histidine, neither the reactants nor the conditions are truly prebiotic. Based on the autocatalytic biosynthesis of 4-methylidene-imidazole-one (MIO), a cofactor of some members of the amino acid aromatic ammonia-lyases and aminomutases, which occur via the self-condensation of a simple Ala-Ser-Gly motif within the sequence of the enzymes, we propose a possible prebiotic synthesis of an imidazolide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Vázquez-Salazar
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-407, Cd. Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - George Tan
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30309, USA
| | - Amanda Stockton
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30309, USA
| | - Renato Fani
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, I-50019 Sesto F. no, Florence, Italy
| | - Arturo Becerra
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-407, Cd. Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Antonio Lazcano
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 70-407, Cd. Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.
- Miembro de El Colegio Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Wieczorek R, Adamala K, Gasperi T, Polticelli F, Stano P. Small and Random Peptides: An Unexplored Reservoir of Potentially Functional Primitive Organocatalysts. The Case of Seryl-Histidine. Life (Basel) 2017; 7:E19. [PMID: 28397774 PMCID: PMC5492141 DOI: 10.3390/life7020019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Catalysis is an essential feature of living systems biochemistry, and probably, it played a key role in primordial times, helping to produce more complex molecules from simple ones. However, enzymes, the biocatalysts par excellence, were not available in such an ancient context, and so, instead, small molecule catalysis (organocatalysis) may have occurred. The best candidates for the role of primitive organocatalysts are amino acids and short random peptides, which are believed to have been available in an early period on Earth. In this review, we discuss the occurrence of primordial organocatalysts in the form of peptides, in particular commenting on reports about seryl-histidine dipeptide, which have recently been investigated. Starting from this specific case, we also mention a peptide fragment condensation scenario, as well as other potential roles of peptides in primordial times. The review actually aims to stimulate further investigation on an unexplored field of research, namely one that specifically looks at the catalytic activity of small random peptides with respect to reactions relevant to prebiotic chemistry and early chemical evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafal Wieczorek
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Katarzyna Adamala
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Tecla Gasperi
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy.
| | - Fabio Polticelli
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy.
- National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Roma Tre Section, Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome, Italy.
| | - Pasquale Stano
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Campus Ecotekne (S.P. 6 Lecce-Monteroni), 73100 Lecce, Italy.
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Shen C, Lazcano A, Oro J. The enhancement activities of histidyl-histidine in some prebiotic reactions. J Mol Evol 2001; 31:445-52. [PMID: 11540924 DOI: 10.1007/bf02102070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The prebiotic synthesis of His and its dimer has led us to study the possible catalytic properties of His-His. The enhancing effect of His-His has been tested in the dephosphorylation of dAMP, the hydrolysis of oligo(A)12, and the oligomerization of 2'3'-cAMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Shen
- Department of Biophysical and Biochemical Sciences, University of Houston, TX 77004, USA
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20
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Alifano P, Fani R, Liò P, Lazcano A, Bazzicalupo M, Carlomagno MS, Bruni CB. Histidine biosynthetic pathway and genes: structure, regulation, and evolution. Microbiol Rev 1996; 60:44-69. [PMID: 8852895 PMCID: PMC239417 DOI: 10.1128/mr.60.1.44-69.1996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- P Alifano
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare L. Califano, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Italy
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Keefe AD, Lazcano A, Miller SL. Evolution of the biosynthesis of the branched-chain amino acids. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 1995; 25:99-110. [PMID: 11536684 DOI: 10.1007/bf01581576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The origin of the biosynthetic pathways for the branched-chain amino acids cannot be understood in terms of the backwards development of the present acetolactate pathway because it contains unstable intermediates. We propose that the first biosynthesis of the branched-chain amino acids was by the reductive carboxylation of short branched chain fatty acids giving keto acids which were then transaminated. Similar reaction sequences mediated by nonspecific enzymes would produce serine and threonine from the abundant prebiotic compounds glycolic and lactic acids. The aromatic amino acids may also have first been synthesized in this way, e.g. tryptophan from indole acetic acid. The next step would have been the biosynthesis of leucine from alpha-ketoisovaleric acid. The acetolactate pathway developed subsequently. The first version of the Krebs cycle, which was used for amino acid biosynthesis, would have been assembled by making use of the reductive carboxylation and leucine biosynthesis enzymes, and completed with the development of a single new enzyme, succinate dehydrogenase. This evolutionary scheme suggests that there may be limitations to inferring the origins of metabolism by a simple back extrapolation of current pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Keefe
- Department of Chemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0317, USA
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Abstract
Histidyl-histidine (His-His) has been synthesized in a yield of up to 14.4% under plausible prebiotic conditions using histidine (His), cyanamide, and 4-amino-5-imidazole carboxamide. A trace amount of His trimer was also detected. Because the imidazole group of His is involved in a number of important enzymatic reactions, and His-His has been shown to catalyze the prebiotic synthesis of glycyl-glycine, we expect this work will stimulate further studies on the catalytic activities of simple His-containing peptides in prebiotic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Shen
- Department of Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences, University of Houston, Texas 77204, USA
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Abstract
The prebiotic formation of histidine (His) has been accomplished experimentally by the reaction of erythrose with formamidine followed by a Strecker synthesis. In the first step of this reaction sequence, the formation of imidazole-4-acetaldehyde took place by the condensation of erythrose and formamidine, two compounds that are known to be formed under prebiotic conditions. In a second step, the imidazole-4-acetaldehyde was converted to His, without isolation of the reaction products by adding HCN and ammonia to the reaction mixture. LC, HPLC, thermospray liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and tandem mass spectrometry were used to identify the product, which was obtained in a yield of 3.5% based on the ratio of His/erythrose. This is a new chemical synthesis of one of the basic amino acids which had not been synthesized prebiotically until now.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Shen
- Department of Biophysical and Biochemical Sciences, University of Houston, Texas 77204-5500, USA
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