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Bechtel M, Ebeling M, Huber L, Trapp O. (Photoredox) Organocatalysis in the Emergence of Life: Discovery, Applications, and Molecular Evolution. Acc Chem Res 2023; 56:2801-2813. [PMID: 37752618 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
ConspectusLife as we know it is built on complex and perfectly interlocking processes that have evolved over millions of years through evolutionary optimization processes. The emergence of life from nonliving matter and the evolution of such highly efficient systems therefore constitute an enormous synthetic and systems chemistry challenge. Advances in supramolecular and systems chemistry are opening new perspectives that provide insights into living and self-sustaining reaction networks as precursors for life. However, the ab initio synthesis of such a system requires the possibility of autonomous optimization of catalytic properties and, consequently, of an evolutionary system at the molecular level. In this Account, we present our discovery of the formation of substituted imidazolidine-4-thiones (photoredox) organocatalysts from simple prebiotic building blocks such as aldehydes and ketones under Strecker reaction conditions with ammonia and cyanides in the presence of hydrogen sulfide. The necessary aldehydes are formed from CO2 and hydrogen under prebiotically plausible meteoritic or volcanic iron-particle catalysis in the atmosphere of the early Earth. Remarkably, the investigated imidazolidine-4-thiones undergo spontaneous resolution by conglomerate crystallization, opening a pathway for symmetry breaking, chiral amplification, and enantioselective organocatalysis. These imidazolidine-4-thiones enable α-alkylations of aldehydes and ketones by photoredox organocatalysis. Therefore, these photoredox organocatalysts are able to modify their aldehyde building blocks, which leads in an evolutionary process to mutated second-generation and third-generation catalysts. In our experimental studies, we found that this mutation can occur not only by new formation of the imidazolidine core structure of the catalyst from modified aldehyde building blocks or by continuous supply from a pool of available building blocks but also by a dynamic exchange of the carbonyl moiety in ring position 2 of the imidazolidine moiety. Remarkably, it can be shown that by incorporating aldehyde building blocks from their environment, the imidazolidine-4-thiones are able to change and adapt to altering environmental conditions without undergoing the entire formation process. The selection of the mutated catalysts is then based on the different catalytic activities in the modification of the aldehyde building blocks and on the catalysis of subsequent processes that can lead to the formation of molecular reaction networks as progenitors for cellular processes. We were able to show that these imidazolidine-4-thiones not only enable α-alkylations but also facilitate other important transformations, such as the selective phosphorylation of nucleosides to nucleotides as a key step leading to the oligomerization to RNA and DNA. It can therefore be expected that evolutionary processes have already taken place on a small molecular level and have thus developed chemical tools that change over time, representing a hidden layer on the path to enzymatically catalyzed biochemical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Bechtel
- Department Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 München, Germany
| | - Marian Ebeling
- Department Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 München, Germany
| | - Laura Huber
- Department Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 München, Germany
| | - Oliver Trapp
- Department Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 München, Germany
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Advances in the Synthesis and Analysis of Biologically Active Phosphometabolites. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043150. [PMID: 36834560 PMCID: PMC9961378 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphorus-containing metabolites cover a large molecular diversity and represent an important domain of small molecules which are highly relevant for life and represent essential interfaces between biology and chemistry, between the biological and abiotic world. The large but not unlimited amount of phosphate minerals on our planet is a key resource for living organisms on our planet, while the accumulation of phosphorus-containing waste is associated with negative effects on ecosystems. Therefore, resource-efficient and circular processes receive increasing attention from different perspectives, from local and regional levels to national and global levels. The molecular and sustainability aspects of a global phosphorus cycle have become of much interest for addressing the phosphorus biochemical flow as a high-risk planetary boundary. Knowledge of balancing the natural phosphorus cycle and the further elucidation of metabolic pathways involving phosphorus is crucial. This requires not only the development of effective new methods for practical discovery, identification, and high-information content analysis, but also for practical synthesis of phosphorus-containing metabolites, for example as standards, as substrates or products of enzymatic reactions, or for discovering novel biological functions. The purpose of this article is to review the advances which have been achieved in the synthesis and analysis of phosphorus-containing metabolites which are biologically active.
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Bechtel M, Hümmer E, Trapp O. Selective Phosphorylation of RNA‐ and DNA‐Nucleosides under Prebiotically Plausible Conditions. CHEMSYSTEMSCHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/syst.202200020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Bechtel
- Department of Chemistry Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich Butenandtstr. 5–13 81377 Munich Germany
| | - Eva Hümmer
- Department of Chemistry Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich Butenandtstr. 5–13 81377 Munich Germany
| | - Oliver Trapp
- Department of Chemistry Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich Butenandtstr. 5–13 81377 Munich Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy Königstuhl 17 69117 Heidelberg Germany
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Ortuno VE, Pulletikurti S, Veena KS, Krishnamurthy R. Synthesis and hydrolytic stability of cyclic phosphatidic acids: implications for synthetic- and proto-cell studies. Chem Commun (Camb) 2022; 58:6231-6234. [PMID: 35510658 DOI: 10.1039/d2cc00292b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic phosphatidic acids (cPAs) are bioactive compounds with therapuetic potential, but are in short supply. We describe a robust synthesis of cPAs employing an efficient cyclophosphorylation procedure and report on their hydrolytic properties - which should facilitate the study of their biological properties and as plausible proto- and synthetic-cell components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Egas Ortuno
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Sunil Pulletikurti
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Kollery S Veena
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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Soleymani Movahed F, Foo SW, Mori S, Ogawa S, Saito S. Phosphorus-Based Organocatalysis for the Dehydrative Cyclization of N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)amides into 2-Oxazolines. J Org Chem 2021; 87:243-257. [PMID: 34882422 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c02318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A metal-free, biomimetic catalytic protocol for the cyclization of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)amides to the corresponding 2-oxazolines (4,5-dihydrooxazoles), promoted by the 1,3,5,2,4,6-triazatriphosphorine (TAP)-derived organocatalyst tris(o-phenylenedioxy)cyclotriphosphazene (TAP-1) has been developed. This approach requires less precatalyst compared to the reported relevant systems, with respect to the phosphorus atom (the maximum turnover number (TON) ∼ 30), and exhibits a broader substrate scope and higher functional-group tolerance, providing the functionalized 2-oxazolines with retention of the configuration at the C(4) stereogenic center of the 2-oxazolines. Widely accessible β-amino alcohols can be used in this approach, and the cyclization of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)amides provides the desired 2-oxazolines in up to 99% yield. The mechanism of the reaction was studied by monitoring the reaction using spectral and analytical methods, whereby an 18O-labeling experiment furnished valuable insights. The initial step involves a stoichiometric reaction between the substrate and TAP-1, which leads to the in situ generation of the catalyst, a catechol cyclic phosphate, as well as to a pyrocatechol phosphate and two possible active intermediates. The dehydrative cyclization was also successfully conducted on the gram scale.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Siong Wan Foo
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Shogo Mori
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Saeko Ogawa
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Susumu Saito
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan.,Research Center for Materials Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
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Osumah A, Krishnamurthy R. Diamidophosphate (DAP): A Plausible Prebiotic Phosphorylating Reagent with a Chem to BioChem Potential? Chembiochem 2021; 22:3001-3009. [PMID: 34289217 PMCID: PMC8589086 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Known since the 1890s, diamidophosphate (DAP) has been investigated within the context of its inorganic chemistry. In 1999 - with the demonstration of DAP's potential as a phosphorylating agent of sugars in aqueous medium - began the exciting phase of research about DAP's role as a plausible prebiotic phosphorylating agent. More recently, in the last five years, there has been a steady increase in the publications that have documented the surprising versatility of DAP enabling the emergence of many classes of biomolecules of life, such as nucleic acids, peptides and protocells. Thus, though in its infancy, DAP seems to be uniquely positioned to play a central role in modelling abiotic- to prebiotic-chemical evolution. In this context, there is a need for systematic investigations for: (a) establishing DAP's likely availability on the early Earth, and (b) developing DAP's potential as a tool for use in synthetic and bioorganic chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulakeem Osumah
- Department of ChemistryThe Scripps Research Institute10550 North Torrey Pines RdLa JollaCA 92037USA
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Marinus N, Tahiri N, Duca M, Mouthaan LMCM, Bianca S, van den Noort M, Poolman B, Witte MD, Minnaard AJ. Stereoselective Protection-Free Modification of 3-Keto-saccharides. Org Lett 2020; 22:5622-5626. [PMID: 32635733 PMCID: PMC7372562 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.0c01986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Unprotected 3-keto-saccharides have become readily accessible via site-selective oxidation, but their protection-free functionalization is relatively unexplored. Here we show that protecting groups are obsolete in a variety of stereoselective modifications of our model substrate methyl α-glucopyranoside. This allows the preparation of rare sugars and the installation of click handles and reactive groups. To showcase the applicability of the methodology, maltoheptaose has been converted into a chemical probe, and the rare sugar evalose has been synthesized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nittert Marinus
- Stratingh
Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - Nabil Tahiri
- Stratingh
Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - Margherita Duca
- Stratingh
Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - L. M. C. Marc Mouthaan
- Stratingh
Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - Simona Bianca
- Stratingh
Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - Marco van den Noort
- Department
of Biochemistry, Groningen Biochemistry & Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AB, The Netherlands
| | - Bert Poolman
- Department
of Biochemistry, Groningen Biochemistry & Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AB, The Netherlands
| | - Martin D. Witte
- Stratingh
Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, The Netherlands
| | - Adriaan J. Minnaard
- Stratingh
Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, The Netherlands
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