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Rodriguez LE, Altair T, Hermis NY, Jia TZ, Roche TP, Steller LH, Weber JM. Chapter 4: A Geological and Chemical Context for the Origins of Life on Early Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S76-S106. [PMID: 38498817 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Within the first billion years of Earth's history, the planet transformed from a hot, barren, and inhospitable landscape to an environment conducive to the emergence and persistence of life. This chapter will review the state of knowledge concerning early Earth's (Hadean/Eoarchean) geochemical environment, including the origin and composition of the planet's moon, crust, oceans, atmosphere, and organic content. It will also discuss abiotic geochemical cycling of the CHONPS elements and how these species could have been converted to biologically relevant building blocks, polymers, and chemical networks. Proposed environments for abiogenesis events are also described and evaluated. An understanding of the geochemical processes under which life may have emerged can better inform our assessment of the habitability of other worlds, the potential complexity that abiotic chemistry can achieve (which has implications for putative biosignatures), and the possibility for biochemistries that are vastly different from those on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Rodriguez
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA. (Current)
| | - Thiago Altair
- Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Chemistry, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA. (Current)
| | - Ninos Y Hermis
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Physics and Space Sciences, University of Granada, Granada Spain. (Current)
| | - Tony Z Jia
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tyler P Roche
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Luke H Steller
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Jessica M Weber
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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2
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Lopez A, Vauchez A, Ajram G, Shvetsova A, Leveau G, Fiore M, Strazewski P. From the RNA-Peptide World: Prebiotic Reaction Conditions Compatible with Lipid Membranes for the Formation of Lipophilic Random Peptides in the Presence of Short Oligonucleotides, and More. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:108. [PMID: 38255723 PMCID: PMC10817532 DOI: 10.3390/life14010108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Deciphering the origins of life on a molecular level includes unravelling the numerous interactions that could occur between the most important biomolecules being the lipids, peptides and nucleotides. They were likely all present on the early Earth and all necessary for the emergence of cellular life. In this study, we intended to explore conditions that were at the same time conducive to chemical reactions critical for the origins of life (peptide-oligonucleotide couplings and templated ligation of oligonucleotides) and compatible with the presence of prebiotic lipid vesicles. For that, random peptides were generated from activated amino acids and analysed using NMR and MS, whereas short oligonucleotides were produced through solid-support synthesis, manually deprotected and purified using HPLC. After chemical activation in prebiotic conditions, the resulting mixtures were analysed using LC-MS. Vesicles could be produced through gentle hydration in similar conditions and observed using epifluorescence microscopy. Despite the absence of coupling or ligation, our results help to pave the way for future investigations on the origins of life that may gather all three types of biomolecules rather than studying them separately, as it is still too often the case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augustin Lopez
- Laboratoire de Chimie Organique 2 (LCO2), Institut de Chimie et Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires (ICBMS, UMR CNRS 5246), Bâtiment Edgar Lederer, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 1 rue Victor Grignard, 69100 Villeurbanne, France (M.F.)
| | - Antoine Vauchez
- Centre Commun de la Spectrométrie de Masse (CCSM), ICBMS, Bâtiment Edgar Lederer, 1 rue Victor Grignard, 69100 Villeurbanne, France;
| | - Ghinwa Ajram
- Laboratoire de Chimie Organique 2 (LCO2), Institut de Chimie et Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires (ICBMS, UMR CNRS 5246), Bâtiment Edgar Lederer, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 1 rue Victor Grignard, 69100 Villeurbanne, France (M.F.)
| | - Anastasiia Shvetsova
- Laboratoire de Chimie Organique 2 (LCO2), Institut de Chimie et Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires (ICBMS, UMR CNRS 5246), Bâtiment Edgar Lederer, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 1 rue Victor Grignard, 69100 Villeurbanne, France (M.F.)
| | - Gabrielle Leveau
- Laboratoire de Chimie Organique 2 (LCO2), Institut de Chimie et Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires (ICBMS, UMR CNRS 5246), Bâtiment Edgar Lederer, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 1 rue Victor Grignard, 69100 Villeurbanne, France (M.F.)
| | - Michele Fiore
- Laboratoire de Chimie Organique 2 (LCO2), Institut de Chimie et Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires (ICBMS, UMR CNRS 5246), Bâtiment Edgar Lederer, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 1 rue Victor Grignard, 69100 Villeurbanne, France (M.F.)
| | - Peter Strazewski
- Laboratoire de Chimie Organique 2 (LCO2), Institut de Chimie et Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires (ICBMS, UMR CNRS 5246), Bâtiment Edgar Lederer, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, 1 rue Victor Grignard, 69100 Villeurbanne, France (M.F.)
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3
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Cruz HA, Jiménez EI, Krishnamurthy R. Enhancing Prebiotic Phosphorylation and Modulating the Regioselectivity of Nucleosides with Diamidophosphate†. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:23781-23793. [PMID: 37856825 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c08539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Among the many prebiotic phosphorylation chemistries investigated, diamidophosphate (DAP) has shown promising potential for nucleoside phosphorylation. Herein, we show that DAP's phosphorylation capability is enhanced significantly (up to 90%) in wet-dry cycles by a range of prebiotically plausible pHs (6-10) and temperatures (up to 80 °C) in the presence of additives such as formamide, cyanamide, urea, guanidine, 2-aminoimidazole, and hydantoin. For ribonucleosides, the main products are the 2',3'-cyclic phosphates along with the corresponding 2'- and 3'-phosphates, while deoxyribonucleosides form 5'- and 3'-phosphates, the ratios of which are affected by cycles and the presence and nature of the additives. A simple change of temperature to 80 °C with additives leads to higher conversion yields (≈80-90%) with an increased level of 5'-phosphorylation (≈40-49%). This demonstration of enhancing and controlling the regioselectivity of DAP-mediated phosphorylation by a range of additives and conditions potentiates transitioning to the search for more efficient catalysts, enabling regiospecific phosphorylations and oligonucleotide formation in the same milieu and setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold A Cruz
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Eddy I Jiménez
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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Riggi VS, Watson EB, Steele A, Rogers KL. Mineral-Mediated Oligoribonucleotide Condensation: Broadening the Scope of Prebiotic Possibilities on the Early Earth. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1899. [PMID: 37763303 PMCID: PMC10532843 DOI: 10.3390/life13091899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The origin of life on earth requires the synthesis of protobiopolymers in realistic geologic environments along strictly abiotic pathways that rely on inorganic phases (such as minerals) instead of cellular machinery to promote condensation. One such class of polymer central to biochemistry is the polynucleotides, and oligomerization of activated ribonucleotides has been widely studied. Nonetheless, the range of laboratory conditions tested to date is limited and the impact of realistic early Earth conditions on condensation reactions remains unexplored. Here, we investigate the potential for a variety of minerals to enhance oligomerization using ribonucleotide monomers as one example to model condensation under plausible planetary conditions. The results show that several minerals differing in both structure and composition enhance oligomerization. Sulfide minerals yielded oligomers of comparable lengths to those formed in the presence of clays, with galena being the most effective, yielding oligonucleotides up to six bases long. Montmorillonite continues to excel beyond other clays. Chemical pretreatment of the clay was not required, though maximum oligomer lengths decreased from ~11 to 6 bases. These results demonstrate the diversity of mineral phases that can impact condensation reactions and highlight the need for greater consideration of environmental context when assessing prebiotic synthesis and the origin of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent S. Riggi
- Rensselaer Astrobiology Research and Education Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (E.B.W.); (A.S.); (K.L.R.)
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - E. Bruce Watson
- Rensselaer Astrobiology Research and Education Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (E.B.W.); (A.S.); (K.L.R.)
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
| | - Andrew Steele
- Rensselaer Astrobiology Research and Education Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (E.B.W.); (A.S.); (K.L.R.)
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5251 Broad Branch Rd NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - Karyn L. Rogers
- Rensselaer Astrobiology Research and Education Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (E.B.W.); (A.S.); (K.L.R.)
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
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5
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Dirscherl CF, Ianeselli A, Tetiker D, Matreux T, Queener RM, Mast CB, Braun D. A heated rock crack captures and polymerizes primordial DNA and RNA. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:3375-3386. [PMID: 36633199 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp04538a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Life is based on informational polymers such as DNA or RNA. For their polymerization, high concentrations of complex monomer building blocks are required. Therefore, the dilution by diffusion poses a major problem before early life could establish a non-equilibrium of compartmentalization. Here, we explored a natural non-equilibrium habitat to polymerize RNA and DNA. A heat flux across thin rock cracks is shown to accumulate and maintain nucleotides. This boosts the polymerization to RNA and DNA inside the crack. Moreover, the polymers remain localized, aiding both the creation of longer polymers and fostering downstream evolutionary steps. In a closed system, we found single nucleotides concentrate 104-fold at the bottom of the crack compared to the top after 24 hours. We detected enhanced polymerization for 2 different activation chemistries: aminoimidazole-activated DNA nucleotides and 2',3'-cyclic RNA nucleotides. The copolymerization of 2',3'-cGMP and 2',3'-cCMP in the thermal pore showed an increased heterogeneity in sequence composition compared to isothermal drying. Finite element models unravelled the combined polymerization and accumulation kinetics and indicated that the escape of the nucleotides from such a crack is negligible over a time span of years. The thermal non-equilibrium habitat establishes a cell-like compartment that actively accumulates nucleotides for polymerization and traps the resulting oligomers. We argue that the setting creates a pre-cellular non-equilibrium steady state for the first steps of molecular evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina F Dirscherl
- Systems Biophysics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80799 Munich, Germany.
| | - Alan Ianeselli
- Systems Biophysics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80799 Munich, Germany.
| | - Damla Tetiker
- Systems Biophysics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80799 Munich, Germany.
| | - Thomas Matreux
- Systems Biophysics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80799 Munich, Germany.
| | - Robbin M Queener
- Systems Biophysics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80799 Munich, Germany.
| | - Christof B Mast
- Systems Biophysics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80799 Munich, Germany.
| | - Dieter Braun
- Systems Biophysics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80799 Munich, Germany.
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Rodrigues F, Georgelin T, Rigaud B, Zhuang G, Fonseca MG, Valtchev V, Jaber M. Deadlocks of adenine ribonucleotide synthesis: evaluation of adsorption and condensation reactions in a zeolite micropore space. Inorg Chem Front 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2qi00837h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Herein, we report on adenine, d-ribose, and monophosphate adsorption/co-adsorption into the synthetic analog of the zeolite mineral mordenite followed by drying at 50 °C and thermal activation at 150 °C under an argon atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Rodrigues
- Sorbonne University, CNRS UMR 8220, Laboratoire d'Archéologie Moléculaire et Structurale, 4 place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France
- State University of Paraíba, UEPB, Department of Chemistry, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Thomas Georgelin
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Rue Charles Sadron, 45000 Orléans, France
| | - Baptiste Rigaud
- CNRS Institut des Matériaux de Paris Centre (FR2482), 4 place jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Guanzheng Zhuang
- Sorbonne University, CNRS UMR 8220, Laboratoire d'Archéologie Moléculaire et Structurale, 4 place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Valentin Valtchev
- Normandy University, Laboratoire Catalyse & Spectrochimie, ENSICAEN, 6 bl Maréchal Juin, 14050 Caen, France
| | - Maguy Jaber
- Sorbonne University, CNRS UMR 8220, Laboratoire d'Archéologie Moléculaire et Structurale, 4 place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, France
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7
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Mangalath S, Karunakaran SC, Newnam G, Schuster GB, Hud NV. Supramolecular assembly-enabled homochiral polymerization of short (dA) n oligonucleotides. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:13602-13605. [PMID: 34852364 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc05420a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A goal of supramolecular chemistry is to create covalent polymers of precise composition and stereochemistry from complex mixtures by the reversible assembly of specific monomers prior to covalent bond formation. We illustrate the power of this approach with short oligomers of deoxyadenosine monophosphate ((dA)n3'p), n ≥ 3, which form supramolecular assemblies with cyanuric acid. The addition of a condensing agent to these assemblies results in their selective, non-enzymatic polymerization to form long polymers (e.g., (dA)1003'p). Significantly, mixtures of D- and L-(dA)53'p form homochiral covalent polymers, which demonstrates self-sorting of racemic monomers and covalent bond formation exclusively in homochiral assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreejith Mangalath
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.
| | - Suneesh C Karunakaran
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.
| | - Gary Newnam
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.
| | - Gary B Schuster
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.
| | - Nicholas V Hud
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.
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Binzel DW, Li X, Burns N, Khan E, Lee WJ, Chen LC, Ellipilli S, Miles W, Ho YS, Guo P. Thermostability, Tunability, and Tenacity of RNA as Rubbery Anionic Polymeric Materials in Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine-Specific Cancer Targeting with Undetectable Toxicity. Chem Rev 2021; 121:7398-7467. [PMID: 34038115 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
RNA nanotechnology is the bottom-up self-assembly of nanometer-scale architectures, resembling LEGOs, composed mainly of RNA. The ideal building material should be (1) versatile and controllable in shape and stoichiometry, (2) spontaneously self-assemble, and (3) thermodynamically, chemically, and enzymatically stable with a long shelf life. RNA building blocks exhibit each of the above. RNA is a polynucleic acid, making it a polymer, and its negative-charge prevents nonspecific binding to negatively charged cell membranes. The thermostability makes it suitable for logic gates, resistive memory, sensor set-ups, and NEM devices. RNA can be designed and manipulated with a level of simplicity of DNA while displaying versatile structure and enzyme activity of proteins. RNA can fold into single-stranded loops or bulges to serve as mounting dovetails for intermolecular or domain interactions without external linking dowels. RNA nanoparticles display rubber- and amoeba-like properties and are stretchable and shrinkable through multiple repeats, leading to enhanced tumor targeting and fast renal excretion to reduce toxicities. It was predicted in 2014 that RNA would be the third milestone in pharmaceutical drug development. The recent approval of several RNA drugs and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines by FDA suggests that this milestone is being realized. Here, we review the unique properties of RNA nanotechnology, summarize its recent advancements, describe its distinct attributes inside or outside the body and discuss potential applications in nanotechnology, medicine, and material science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W Binzel
- Center for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, College of Pharmacy, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Xin Li
- Center for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, College of Pharmacy, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Nicolas Burns
- Center for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, College of Pharmacy, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Eshan Khan
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Wen-Jui Lee
- TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Li-Ching Chen
- TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Satheesh Ellipilli
- Center for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, College of Pharmacy, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Wayne Miles
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Yuan Soon Ho
- TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Peixuan Guo
- Center for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, College of Pharmacy, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, James Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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Abstract
The chemistry of abiotic nucleotide synthesis of RNA and DNA in the context of their prebiotic origins on early earth is a continuing challenge. How did (or how can) the nucleotides form and assemble from the small molecule inventories and under conditions that prevailed on early earth 3.5-4 billion years ago? This review provides a background and up-to-date progress that will allow the reader to judge where the field stands currently and what remains to be achieved. We start with a brief primer on the biological synthesis of nucleotides, followed by an extensive focus on the prebiotic formation of the components of nucleotides-either via the synthesis of ribose and the canonical nucleobases and then joining them together or by building both the conjoined sugar and nucleobase, part-by-part-toward the ultimate goal of forming RNA and DNA by polymerization. The review will emphasize that there are-and will continue to be-many more questions than answers from the synthetic, mechanistic, and analytical perspectives. We wrap up the review with a cautionary note in this context about coming to conclusions as to whether the problem of chemistry of prebiotic nucleotide synthesis has been solved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahipal Yadav
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Ravi Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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Olasagasti F, Rajamani S. Lipid-Assisted Polymerization of Nucleotides. Life (Basel) 2019; 9:life9040083. [PMID: 31694196 PMCID: PMC6958317 DOI: 10.3390/life9040083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to being one of the proponents of the “Lipid World hypothesis”, David Deamer, together with other colleagues, pioneered studies involving formation of RNA-like oligomers from their ‘non-activated’, prebiotically plausible monomeric moieties. In particular, the pioneering work in this regard was a publication from 2008 in Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres, The Journal of the International Astrobiology Society, wherein we described the formation of RNA-like oligomers from nucleoside 5’-monophosphates. In that study, we had simulated a terrestrial geothermal environment, a niche that is thought to have facilitated the prebiotic non-enzymatic synthesis of polynucleotides. We showed that a mixture of lipids and non-activated mononucleotides resulted in the formation of relatively long strands of RNA-like polymers when subjected to repeated cycles of dehydration and rehydration (DH-RH). Since 2008, terrestrial geothermal niches and DH-RH conditions have been explored in the context of several other prebiotic processes. In this article, we review the work that we and other researchers have carried out since then in this line of research, including the development of new apparatus to carry out the simulation of prebiotic terrestrial geothermal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Olasagasti
- Microfluidics & BIOMICs Cluster, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Farmazia Fakultatea, Unibertsitateko Ibilbidea 7, 01006 Gasteiz, Basque Country, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Sudha Rajamani
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411008, Maharashtra, India
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11
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Edeleva E, Salditt A, Stamp J, Schwintek P, Boekhoven J, Braun D. Continuous nonenzymatic cross-replication of DNA strands with in situ activated DNA oligonucleotides. Chem Sci 2019; 10:5807-5814. [PMID: 31293769 PMCID: PMC6568275 DOI: 10.1039/c9sc00770a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A nonenzymatic DNA cross-replicator uses temperature cycling to overcome product inhibition and thus survives exponential dilution conditions.
Continuous enzyme-free replication of oligonucleotides is central for open-ended evolution experiments that mimic the origin of life. Here, we studied a reaction system, whereby two 24mer DNA templates cross-catalyzed each other's synthesis from four 12mer DNA fragments, two of which were in situ activated with the condensing agent 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylamino-propyl)carbodiimide (EDC). We circumvented the problem of product inhibition by melting the stable product duplexes for their reuse as templates in the following ligation step. The system reproduced itself through ligation/melting cycles and survived exponential dilution. We quantified EDC-induced side reactions in a detailed kinetic model. The model allowed us to analyze the effects of various reaction rates on the system's kinetics and confirmed maximal replication under the chosen conditions. The presented system enables us to study nonenzymatic open-ended evolution experiments starting from diverse sequence pools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniia Edeleva
- Systems Biophysics , Physics Department , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , Amalienstraße 54 , 80799 München , Germany .
| | - Annalena Salditt
- Systems Biophysics , Physics Department , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , Amalienstraße 54 , 80799 München , Germany .
| | - Julian Stamp
- Systems Biophysics , Physics Department , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , Amalienstraße 54 , 80799 München , Germany .
| | - Philipp Schwintek
- Systems Biophysics , Physics Department , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , Amalienstraße 54 , 80799 München , Germany .
| | - Job Boekhoven
- Chemistry Department and Institute for Advanced Study , Technical University of Munich , Lichtenbergstraße 4 , 80895 Garching , Germany
| | - Dieter Braun
- Systems Biophysics , Physics Department , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , Amalienstraße 54 , 80799 München , Germany .
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12
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Biscans A. Exploring the Emergence of RNA Nucleosides and Nucleotides on the Early Earth. Life (Basel) 2018; 8:life8040057. [PMID: 30404133 PMCID: PMC6316623 DOI: 10.3390/life8040057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding how life began is one of the most fascinating problems to solve. By approaching this enigma from a chemistry perspective, the goal is to define what series of chemical reactions could lead to the synthesis of nucleotides, amino acids, lipids, and other cellular components from simple feedstocks under prebiotically plausible conditions. It is well established that evolution of life involved RNA which plays central roles in both inheritance and catalysis. In this review, we present historically important and recently published articles aimed at understanding the emergence of RNA nucleosides and nucleotides on the early Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle Biscans
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, 01605 MA, USA.
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Karki M, Gibard C, Bhowmik S, Krishnamurthy R. Nitrogenous Derivatives of Phosphorus and the Origins of Life: Plausible Prebiotic Phosphorylating Agents in Water. Life (Basel) 2017; 7:E32. [PMID: 28758921 PMCID: PMC5617957 DOI: 10.3390/life7030032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphorylation under plausible prebiotic conditions continues to be one of the defining issues for the role of phosphorus in the origins of life processes. In this review, we cover the reactions of alternative forms of phosphate, specifically the nitrogenous versions of phosphate (and other forms of reduced phosphorus species) from a prebiotic, synthetic organic and biochemistry perspective. The ease with which such amidophosphates or phosphoramidate derivatives phosphorylate a wide variety of substrates suggests that alternative forms of phosphate could have played a role in overcoming the "phosphorylation in water problem". We submit that serious consideration should be given to the search for primordial sources of nitrogenous versions of phosphate and other versions of phosphorus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Karki
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA.
| | - Clémentine Gibard
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA.
| | - Subhendu Bhowmik
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA.
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA.
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14
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Costanzo G, Giorgi A, Scipioni A, Timperio AM, Mancone C, Tripodi M, Kapralov M, Krasavin E, Kruse H, Šponer J, Šponer JE, Ranc V, Otyepka M, Pino S, Di Mauro E. Nonenzymatic Oligomerization of 3',5'-Cyclic CMP Induced by Proton and UV Irradiation Hints at a Nonfastidious Origin of RNA. Chembiochem 2017; 18:1535-1543. [PMID: 28471098 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201700122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
We report that 3',5'-cyclic CMP undergoes nonenzymatic di- and trimerization at 20 °C under dry conditions upon proton or UV irradiation. The reaction involves stacking of the cyclic monomers and subsequent polymerization through serial transphosphorylations between the stacked monomers. Proton- and UV-induced oligomerization of 3',5'-cyclic CMP demonstrates that pyrimidines-similar to purines-might also have taken part in the spontaneous generation of RNA under plausible prebiotic conditions as well as in an extraterrestrial context. The observed polymerization of naturally occurring 3',5'-cyclic nucleotides supports the possibility that the extant genetic nucleic acids might have originated by way of a straight Occamian path, starting from simple reactions between plausibly preactivated monomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Costanzo
- Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari, CNR, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Giorgi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Anita Scipioni
- Dipartimento di Chimica, "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Timperio
- Department of Ecology and Biology, "La Tuscia" University, Viale dell'Università snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Carmine Mancone
- Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Regina Elena 324, 00161, Roma, Italy.,National Institute for Infectious Diseases "L. Spallanzani", IRCCS, Via Portuense 292, 00149, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Tripodi
- Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Regina Elena 324, 00161, Roma, Italy.,National Institute for Infectious Diseases "L. Spallanzani", IRCCS, Via Portuense 292, 00149, Rome, Italy
| | - Michail Kapralov
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Laboratory of Radiation Biology, 141980, Dubna, Russia
| | - Eugene Krasavin
- Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Laboratory of Radiation Biology, 141980, Dubna, Russia
| | - Holger Kruse
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Královopolská 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Královopolská 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic.,Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. Listopadu, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Judit E Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Královopolská 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Ranc
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. Listopadu, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Otyepka
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. Listopadu, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Samanta Pino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Ernesto Di Mauro
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
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15
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Coari KM, Martin RC, Jain K, McGown LB. Nucleotide Selectivity in Abiotic RNA Polymerization Reactions. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2017; 47:305-321. [PMID: 28160163 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-017-9532-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In order to establish an RNA world on early Earth, the nucleotides must form polymers through chemical rather than biochemical reactions. The polymerization products must be long enough to perform catalytic functions, including self-replication, and to preserve genetic information. These functions depend not only on the length of the polymers, but also on their sequences. To date, studies of abiotic RNA polymerization generally have focused on routes to polymerization of a single nucleotide and lengths of the homopolymer products. Less work has been done the selectivity of the reaction toward incorporation of some nucleotides over others in nucleotide mixtures. Such information is an essential step toward understanding the chemical evolution of RNA. To address this question, in the present work RNA polymerization reactions were performed in the presence of montmorillonite clay catalyst. The nucleotides included the monophosphates of adenosine, cytosine, guanosine, uridine and inosine. Experiments included reactions of mixtures of an imidazole-activated nucleotide (ImpX) with one or more unactivated nucleotides (XMP), of two or more ImpX, and of XMP that were activated in situ in the polymerization reaction itself. The reaction products were analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to identify the lengths and nucleotide compositions of the polymerization products. The results show that the extent of polymerization, the degree of heteropolymerization vs. homopolymerization, and the composition of the polymeric products all vary among the different nucleotides and depend upon which nucleotides and how many different nucleotides are present in the mixture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Coari
- The New York Center for Astrobiology and the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Rebecca C Martin
- The New York Center for Astrobiology and the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Kopal Jain
- The New York Center for Astrobiology and the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Linda B McGown
- The New York Center for Astrobiology and the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA.
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Gwak GH, Kocsis I, Legrand YM, Barboiu M, Oh JM. Controlled supramolecular structure of guanosine monophosphate in the interlayer space of layered double hydroxide. BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2016; 7:1928-1935. [PMID: 28144541 PMCID: PMC5238632 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.7.184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Guanosine monophosphates (GMPs) were intercalated into the interlayer space of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and the molecular arrangement of GMP was controlled in LDHs. The intercalation conditions such as GMP/LDH molar ratio and reaction temperature were systematically adjusted. When the GMP/LDH molar ratio was 1:2, which corresponds to the charge balance between positive LDH sheets and GMP anions, GMP molecules were well-intercalated to LDH. At high temperature (100 and 80 °C), a single GMP molecule existed separately in the LDH interlayer. On the other hand, at lower temperature (20, 40 and 60 °C), GMPs tended to form ribbon-type supramolecular assemblies. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the ribbon-type GMP assembly had an intermolecular interaction energy of ≈101 kJ/mol, which corresponds to a double hydrogen bond between guanosine molecules. Once stabilized, the interlayer GMP orientations, single molecular and ribbon phase, were successfully converted to the other phase by adjusting the external environment by stoichiometry or temperature control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyeong-Hyeon Gwak
- Department of Chemistry and Medical Chemistry, College of Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju, Gangwondo, 26493, Republic of Korea
| | - Istvan Kocsis
- Adaptive Supramolecular Nanosystems Group, Institut Européen des Membranes, University of Montpellier/ENSCM/CNRS 5635, Pl. Eugène Bataillon, CC 047, 34095 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
| | - Yves-Marie Legrand
- Adaptive Supramolecular Nanosystems Group, Institut Européen des Membranes, University of Montpellier/ENSCM/CNRS 5635, Pl. Eugène Bataillon, CC 047, 34095 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
| | - Mihail Barboiu
- Adaptive Supramolecular Nanosystems Group, Institut Européen des Membranes, University of Montpellier/ENSCM/CNRS 5635, Pl. Eugène Bataillon, CC 047, 34095 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
| | - Jae-Min Oh
- Department of Chemistry and Medical Chemistry, College of Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju, Gangwondo, 26493, Republic of Korea
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17
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Co-operation between Polymerases and Nucleotide Synthetases in the RNA World. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1005161. [PMID: 27820829 PMCID: PMC5098785 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
It is believed that life passed through an RNA World stage in which replication was sustained by catalytic RNAs (ribozymes). The two most obvious types of ribozymes are a polymerase, which uses a neighbouring strand as a template to make a complementary sequence to the template, and a nucleotide synthetase, which synthesizes monomers for use by the polymerase. When a chemical source of monomers is available, the polymerase can survive on its own. When the chemical supply of monomers is too low, nucleotide production by the synthetase is essential and the two ribozymes can only survive when they are together. Here we consider a computational model to investigate conditions under which coexistence and cooperation of these two types of ribozymes is possible. The model considers six types of strands: the two functional sequences, the complementary strands to these sequences (which are required as templates), and non-functional mutants of the two sequences (which act as parasites). Strands are distributed on a two-dimensional lattice. Polymerases replicate strands on neighbouring sites and synthetases produce monomers that diffuse in the local neighbourhood. We show that coexistence of unlinked polymerases and synthetases is possible in this spatial model under conditions in which neither sequence could survive alone; hence, there is a selective force for increasing complexity. Coexistence is dependent on the relative lengths of the two functional strands, the strand diffusion rate, the monomer diffusion rate, and the rate of deleterious mutations. The sensitivity of this two-ribozyme system suggests that evolution of a system of many types of ribozymes would be difficult in a purely spatial model with unlinked genes. We therefore speculate that linkage of genes onto mini-chromosomes and encapsulation of strands in protocells would have been important fairly early in the history of life as a means of enabling more complex systems to evolve. Trans-acting polymerases are cooperative, because they copy neighbouring strands, and do not copy themselves directly. Inaccurate replication creates parasitic strands that act as templates but not ribozymes. It is known that in spatially distributed models with slow strand diffusion, clusters of cooperating polymerases arise that can survive in the presence of parasites provided that the error rate is less than a maximum limit (the error threshold). In the RNA World, we envisage multiple types of ribozymes working together. We would like to understand how a multi-ribozyme system could evolve from a system with a single type of polymerase ribozyme. As a first step in increasing complexity, we consider a two-ribozyme system in which there is one polymerase and one nucleotide synthetase that produces monomers for use by the polymerase. We are particularly interested to find conditions in which the chemical supply of monomers is too low for the polymerase to survive alone, but the additional monomers created by the synthetase allow the two-ribozyme system to survive where the single-ribozyme system could not. There is then a selective force for increasing the complexity of the system. Here we show that spatial clustering is sufficient to allow cooperation and survival of systems of unlinked ribozymes with different functions. Clusters form in which synthetases form fringes around the polymerases. Survival of the two-ribozyme system depends on several factors. The strand diffusion rate must be slow enough for cooperative clusters to emerge. The replication rate of the polymerase must be comparable to that of the synthetase. The diffusion rate of the monomers must be neither too slow nor too fast. The model considers the most difficult case for cooperation–unlinked genes with no compartments. The sensitivity of the two-ribozyme system that we study here suggests that evolution of a spatial system with multiple unlinked ribozymes would become increasingly more difficult as the number of components increased, and suggests that linkage and protocells would need to evolve relatively early in the history of life.
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Higgs PG. The Effect of Limited Diffusion and Wet-Dry Cycling on Reversible Polymerization Reactions: Implications for Prebiotic Synthesis of Nucleic Acids. Life (Basel) 2016; 6:life6020024. [PMID: 27338479 PMCID: PMC4931461 DOI: 10.3390/life6020024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A long-standing problem for the origins of life is that polymerization of many biopolymers, including nucleic acids and peptides, is thermodynamically unfavourable in aqueous solution. If bond making and breaking is reversible, monomers and very short oligomers predominate. Recent experiments have shown that wetting and drying cycles can overcome this problem and drive the formation of longer polymers. In the dry phase, bond formation is favourable, but diffusion is restricted, and bonds only form between monomers that are initially close together. In the wet phase, some of the bonds are hydrolyzed. However, repositioning of the molecules allows new bonds to form in the next dry phase, leading to an increase in mean polymer length. Here, we consider a simple theoretical model that explains the effect of cycling. There is an equilibrium length distribution with a high mean length that could be achieved if diffusion occurred freely in the dry phase. This equilibrium is inaccessible without diffusion. A single dry cycle without diffusion leads to mean lengths much shorter than this. Repeated cycling leads to a significant increase in polymerization relative to a single cycle. In the most favourable case, cycling leads to the same equilibrium length distribution as would be achieved if free diffusion were possible in the dry phase. These results support the RNA World scenario by explaining a potential route to synthesis of long RNAs; however, they also imply that cycling would be beneficial to the synthesis of other kinds of polymers, including peptides, where bond formation involves a condensation reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul G Higgs
- Origins Institute & Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada.
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Jauker M, Griesser H, Richert C. Copying of RNA Sequences without Pre-Activation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015; 54:14559-63. [PMID: 26435291 PMCID: PMC4678514 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201506592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Template-directed incorporation of nucleotides at the terminus of a growing complementary strand is the basis of replication. For RNA, this process can occur in the absence of enzymes, if the ribonucleotides are first converted to an active species with a leaving group. Thus far, the activation required a separate chemical step, complicating prebiotically plausible scenarios. Here we show that a combination of a carbodiimide and an organocatalyst induces near-quantitative incorporation of any of the four ribonucleotides. Upon in situ activation, adenosine monophosphate was found to also form oligomers in aqueous solution. So, both de novo strand formation and sequence-specific copying can occur without an artificial synthetic step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Jauker
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Universität Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany)
| | - Helmut Griesser
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Universität Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany)
| | - Clemens Richert
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Universität Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany).
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Jauker M, Griesser H, Richert C. Kopieren von RNA-Sequenzen ohne Voraktivierung. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201506592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Burcar BT, Barge LM, Trail D, Watson EB, Russell MJ, McGown LB. RNA Oligomerization in Laboratory Analogues of Alkaline Hydrothermal Vent Systems. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:509-522. [PMID: 26154881 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Discovering pathways leading to long-chain RNA formation under feasible prebiotic conditions is an essential step toward demonstrating the viability of the RNA World hypothesis. Intensive research efforts have provided evidence of RNA oligomerization by using circular ribonucleotides, imidazole-activated ribonucleotides with montmorillonite catalyst, and ribonucleotides in the presence of lipids. Additionally, mineral surfaces such as borates, apatite, and calcite have been shown to catalyze the formation of small organic compounds from inorganic precursors (Cleaves, 2008 ), pointing to possible geological sites for the origins of life. Indeed, the catalytic properties of these particular minerals provide compelling evidence for alkaline hydrothermal vents as a potential site for the origins of life since, at these vents, large metal-rich chimney structures can form that have been shown to be energetically favorable to diverse forms of life. Here, we test the ability of iron- and sulfur-rich chimneys to support RNA oligomerization reactions using imidazole-activated and non-activated ribonucleotides. The chimneys were synthesized in the laboratory in aqueous "ocean" solutions under conditions consistent with current understanding of early Earth. Effects of elemental composition, pH, inclusion of catalytic montmorillonite clay, doping of chimneys with small organic compounds, and in situ ribonucleotide activation on RNA polymerization were investigated. These experiments, under certain conditions, showed successful dimerization by using unmodified ribonucleotides, with the generation of RNA oligomers up to 4 units in length when imidazole-activated ribonucleotides were used instead. Elemental analysis of the chimney precipitates and the reaction solutions showed that most of the metal cations that were determined were preferentially partitioned into the chimneys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley T Burcar
- 1 New York Center for Astrobiology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy, New York
- 2 Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy, New York
| | - Laura M Barge
- 3 NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, California
- 4 NASA Astrobiology Institute , Icy Worlds
| | - Dustin Trail
- 1 New York Center for Astrobiology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy, New York
- 5 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute School of Science , Troy, New York
| | - E Bruce Watson
- 1 New York Center for Astrobiology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy, New York
- 5 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute School of Science , Troy, New York
| | - Michael J Russell
- 3 NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, California
- 4 NASA Astrobiology Institute , Icy Worlds
| | - Linda B McGown
- 1 New York Center for Astrobiology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy, New York
- 2 Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy, New York
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