1
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Zhang L, Ying J. Amino acid analogues provide multiple plausible pathways to prebiotic peptides. J R Soc Interface 2024; 21:20240014. [PMID: 38715323 PMCID: PMC11077012 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2024.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Prebiotic peptide synthesis has consistently been a prominent topic within the field of the origin of life. While research predominantly centres on the 20 classical amino acids, the synthesis process encounters significant thermodynamic barriers. Consequently, amino acid analogues are being explored as potential building blocks for prebiotic peptide synthesis. This review delves into the pathway of polypeptide formation, identifying specific amino acid analogues that might have existed on early Earth, potentially participating in peptide synthesis and chemical evolution. Moreover, considering the complexity and variability of the environment on early Earth, we propose the plausibility of coevolution between amino acids and their analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, No. 818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianxi Ying
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, No. 818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, People's Republic of China
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2
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Tracing the Primordial Chemical Life of Glycine: A Review from Quantum Chemical Simulations. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084252. [PMID: 35457069 PMCID: PMC9030215 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycine (Gly), NH2CH2COOH, is the simplest amino acid. Although it has not been directly detected in the interstellar gas-phase medium, it has been identified in comets and meteorites, and its synthesis in these environments has been simulated in terrestrial laboratory experiments. Likewise, condensation of Gly to form peptides in scenarios resembling those present in a primordial Earth has been demonstrated experimentally. Thus, Gly is a paradigmatic system for biomolecular building blocks to investigate how they can be synthesized in astrophysical environments, transported and delivered by fragments of asteroids (meteorites, once they land on Earth) and comets (interplanetary dust particles that land on Earth) to the primitive Earth, and there react to form biopolymers as a step towards the emergence of life. Quantum chemical investigations addressing these Gly-related events have been performed, providing fundamental atomic-scale information and quantitative energetic data. However, they are spread in the literature and difficult to harmonize in a consistent way due to different computational chemistry methodologies and model systems. This review aims to collect the work done so far to characterize, at a quantum mechanical level, the chemical life of Gly, i.e., from its synthesis in the interstellar medium up to its polymerization on Earth.
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3
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Brigiano FS, Gierada M, Tielens F, Pietrucci F. Mechanism and Free-Energy Landscape of Peptide Bond Formation at the Silica–Water Interface. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c05635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Flavio Siro Brigiano
- General Chemistry (ALGC), Materials Modeling Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium
| | - Maciej Gierada
- General Chemistry (ALGC), Materials Modeling Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, ul. Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, Poland
| | - Frederik Tielens
- General Chemistry (ALGC), Materials Modeling Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium
| | - Fabio Pietrucci
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, UMR CNRS 7590, IRD, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, IMPMC, F-75005 Paris, France
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4
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Ying J, Ding R, Liu Y, Zhao Y. Prebiotic Chemistry in Aqueous Environment: A Review of Peptide Synthesis and Its Relationship with Genetic Code. CHINESE J CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/cjoc.202100120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jianxi Ying
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology Ningbo University, No.818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo Zhejiang 315211 China
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences Ningbo University No.818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo Zhejiang 315211 China
| | - Ruiwen Ding
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology Ningbo University, No.818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo Zhejiang 315211 China
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences Ningbo University No.818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo Zhejiang 315211 China
| | - Yan Liu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Xiamen University, No. 422, Siming South Road Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
| | - Yufen Zhao
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology Ningbo University, No.818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo Zhejiang 315211 China
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences Ningbo University No.818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo Zhejiang 315211 China
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Xiamen University, No. 422, Siming South Road Xiamen Fujian 361005 China
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5
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Wang W, Qiao L, He J, Ju Y, Yu K, Kan G, Guo C, Zhang H, Jiang J. Water Microdroplets Allow Spontaneously Abiotic Production of Peptides. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:5774-5780. [PMID: 34134488 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The chemistry of abiotic synthesis of peptides in the context of their prebiotic origins is a continuing challenge that arises from thermodynamic and kinetic constraints in aqueous media. Here we reported a strategy of microdroplets' mass spectrometry for peptide bonds formed from pure amino acids or a mixture in the presence of phosphoric acids in aqueous microdroplets. In contrast to bulk experiments, the condensation reactions proceed spontaneously under ambient conditions. The microdroplet gave a negative free-energy change (ΔG ∼ -1.1 kcal/mol), and product yields of ∼75% were obtained at the scale of a few milliseconds. Experiments in which nebulization gas pressure and external charge were varied established dependence of peptide production on the droplet size that has a high surface-to-volume ratio. It is concluded that the condensation reactions occurred at or near the air-water interfaces of microdroplets. This aqueous microdroplets approach also provides a route for chemistry synthesis in the prebiotic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxin Wang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, China
| | - Lina Qiao
- Marine College, Shandong University (Weihai), Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Jing He
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, China
| | - Yun Ju
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, China
| | - Kai Yu
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, China
| | - Guangfeng Kan
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Changlu Guo
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, China
| | - Jie Jiang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, Shandong 264209, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, China
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6
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Muñoz-Santiburcio D, Marx D. Confinement-Controlled Aqueous Chemistry within Nanometric Slit Pores. Chem Rev 2021; 121:6293-6320. [PMID: 34006106 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In this Focus Review, we put the spotlight on very recent insights into the fascinating world of wet chemistry in the realm offered by nanoconfinement of water in mechanically rather rigid and chemically inert planar slit pores wherein only monolayer and bilayer water lamellae can be hosted. We review the effect of confinement on different aspects such as hydrogen bonding, ion diffusion, and charge defect migration of H+(aq) and OH-(aq) in nanoconfined water depending on slit pore width. A particular focus is put on the strongly modulated local dielectric properties as quantified in terms of anisotropic polarization fluctuations across such extremely confined water films and their putative effects on chemical reactions therein. The stunning findings disclosed only recently extend wet chemistry in particular and solvation science in general toward extreme molecular confinement conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Muñoz-Santiburcio
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany.,CIC nanoGUNE BRTA, Tolosa Hiribidea 76, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Dominik Marx
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
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7
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Moerman E, Furman D, Wales DJ. Development of ReaxFF Reactive Force Field for Aqueous Iron-Sulfur Clusters with Applications to Stability and Reactivity in Water. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:1204-1214. [PMID: 33617718 PMCID: PMC8028049 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Iron-sulfur clusters serve unique roles in biochemistry, geochemistry, and renewable energy technologies. However, a full theoretical understanding of their structures and properties is still lacking. To facilitate large-scale reactive molecular dynamics simulations of iron-sulfur clusters in aqueous environments, a ReaxFF reactive force field is developed, based on an extensive set of quantum chemical calculations. This force field compares favorably with the reference calculations on gas-phase species and significantly improves on a previous ReaxFF parametrization. We employ the new potential to study the stability and reactivity of iron-sulfur clusters in explicit water with constant-temperature reactive molecular dynamics. The aqueous species exhibit a dynamic, temperature-dependent behavior, in good agreement with previous much more costly ab initio simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny Moerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road,Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - David Furman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road,Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.,Division of Chemistry, NRCN, P.O. Box 9001, Beer-Sheva 84190, Israel
| | - David J Wales
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road,Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
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8
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Prebiotic chemistry and origins of life research with atomistic computer simulations. Phys Life Rev 2020; 34-35:105-135. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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9
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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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10
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Saladino R. Computational investigation of the primordial soup: Comment on "Prebiotic chemistry and origin of life research with atomistic computer simulations" by A. Pérez-Villa, F. Pietrucci, and A. M. Saitta. Phys Life Rev 2020; 34-35:149-152. [PMID: 31974057 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2020.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Saladino
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, University of Tuscia, 01100, Viterbo, Italy.
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11
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Wang S, Zhang H, Ge H, Shi Y, Li Z. Photodegradation of microcystin-LR by pyridyl iron porphyrin immobilized on NaY zeolite. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2020; 81:121-130. [PMID: 32293595 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2020.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A novel photocatalyst, FeTPyPY, was prepared by immobilizing water-soluble tetra(4-pyridyl)phenyl iron-porphyrin (FeTPyP) on NaY zeolite to degrade microcystin-LR (MC-LR), one of the most toxic microcystins (MCs). UV-Vis analysis, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and transmission electron microscopy were employed to characterize immobilized FeTPyPY. Under visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm), MC-LR was degraded utilizing immobilized FeTPyPY by activating molecular oxygen. The results showed that 85% of MC-LR was efficiently degraded by FeTPyPY with loading amount 100:1 (mNaY:mFeTPyP) after 300 min of visible light illumination. Moreover, FeTPyPY was stable in the degradation system with pH 7.0. The degradation mechanism was evaluated using electron spin resonance, and the results demonstrated that highly reactive oxygen species (•OH radical) were generated in the system to degrade MC-LR. Therefore, immobilized FeTPyPY was available to break down the toxic groups within MC-LR by utilizing environmental •OH radical under circumneutral condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shulian Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation for Rivers-Lakes and Algal Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China E-mail: ; Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, Singapore 637141, Singapore
| | - Huiqin Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation for Rivers-Lakes and Algal Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China E-mail:
| | - Hongmei Ge
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation for Rivers-Lakes and Algal Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China E-mail:
| | - Yafei Shi
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation for Rivers-Lakes and Algal Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China E-mail:
| | - Zhu Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Ecological Remediation for Rivers-Lakes and Algal Utilization, School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China E-mail:
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12
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Gauthier JA, Dickens CF, Heenen HH, Vijay S, Ringe S, Chan K. Unified Approach to Implicit and Explicit Solvent Simulations of Electrochemical Reaction Energetics. J Chem Theory Comput 2019; 15:6895-6906. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.9b00717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A. Gauthier
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Colin F. Dickens
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Hendrik H. Heenen
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sudarshan Vijay
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Stefan Ringe
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Karen Chan
- Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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13
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Tripathi R, Forbert H, Marx D. Settling the Long-Standing Debate on the Proton Storage Site of the Prototype Light-Driven Proton Pump Bacteriorhodopsin. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:9598-9608. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b09608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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14
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Xu S, Gu M, Wu K, Li G. Unraveling the Role of Hydroxyproline in Maintaining the Thermal Stability of the Collagen Triple Helix Structure Using Simulation. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:7754-7763. [PMID: 31418574 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b05006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The thermal stability of collagen has an important effect on its practical applications. Many believe that hydroxyproline (Hyp) improves the structural stability of collagen molecules. In this study, for the first time, a method of building natural collagen molecular models was described. We constructed a collagen model with typical triple-helix structure and calculated the hydrogen bond energy between collagen α chains. The calculated hydrogen bond energy was consistent with the experimental results of differential scanning calorimetry. After the calculation simulation, we verified that the hydrogen bond energy between collagen chains was positively correlated with Hyp content in the models and an increased Hyp content in the model was beneficial in improving the thermal resistance of the structure. In addition, we found that thermal unfolding did not occur simultaneously along the entire molecule but started in the regions with less Hyp content. This study provides a collagen model with a natural collagen amino acid sequence, which will be helpful for further investigation of the physical and chemical properties of natural collagen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kun Wu
- School of Materials and Environmental Protection , Chengdu Textile College , Chengdu 610065 , P. R. China
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15
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Prebiotic Soup Components Trapped in Montmorillonite Nanoclay Form New Molecules: Car-Parrinello Ab Initio Simulations. Life (Basel) 2019; 9:life9020046. [PMID: 31167366 PMCID: PMC6617125 DOI: 10.3390/life9020046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The catalytic effects of complex minerals or meteorites are often mentioned as important factors for the origins of life. To assess the possible role of nanoconfinement within a catalyst consisting of montmorillonite (MMT) and the impact of local electric field on the formation efficiency of the simple hypothetical precursors of nucleic acid bases or amino acids, we performed ab initio Car–Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations. We prepared four condensed-phase systems corresponding to previously suggested prototypes of a primordial soup. We monitored possible chemical reactions occurring within gas-like bulk and MMT-confined four simulation boxes on a 20-ps time scale at 1 atm and 300 K, 400 K, and 600 K. Elevated temperatures did not affect the reactivity of the elementary components of the gas-like boxes considerably; however, the presence of the MMT nanoclay substantially increased the formation probability of new molecules. Approximately 20 different new compounds were found in boxes containing carbon monoxide or formaldehyde molecules. This observation and an analysis of the atom–atom radial distribution functions indicated that the presence of Ca2+ ions at the surface of the internal MMT cavities may be an important factor in the initial steps of the formation of complex molecules at the early stages of the Earth’s history.
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16
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Rimola A, Sodupe M, Ugliengo P. Role of Mineral Surfaces in Prebiotic Chemical Evolution. In Silico Quantum Mechanical Studies. Life (Basel) 2019; 9:E10. [PMID: 30658501 PMCID: PMC6463156 DOI: 10.3390/life9010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a consensus that the interaction of organic molecules with the surfaces of naturally-occurring minerals might have played a crucial role in chemical evolution and complexification in a prebiotic era. The hurdle of an overly diluted primordial soup occurring in the free ocean may have been overcome by the adsorption and concentration of relevant molecules on the surface of abundant minerals at the sea shore. Specific organic⁻mineral interactions could, at the same time, organize adsorbed molecules in well-defined orientations and activate them toward chemical reactions, bringing to an increase in chemical complexity. As experimental approaches cannot easily provide details at atomic resolution, the role of in silico computer simulations may fill that gap by providing structures and reactive energy profiles at the organic⁻mineral interface regions. Accordingly, numerous computational studies devoted to prebiotic chemical evolution induced by organic⁻mineral interactions have been proposed. The present article aims at reviewing recent in silico works, mainly focusing on prebiotic processes occurring on the mineral surfaces of clays, iron sulfides, titanium dioxide, and silica and silicates simulated through quantum mechanical methods based on the density functional theory (DFT). The DFT is the most accurate way in which chemists may address the behavior of the molecular world through large models mimicking chemical complexity. A perspective on possible future scenarios of research using in silico techniques is finally proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Rimola
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Mariona Sodupe
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Piero Ugliengo
- Dipartimento di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS), Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy.
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17
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Grajciar L, Heard CJ, Bondarenko AA, Polynski MV, Meeprasert J, Pidko EA, Nachtigall P. Towards operando computational modeling in heterogeneous catalysis. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 47:8307-8348. [PMID: 30204184 PMCID: PMC6240816 DOI: 10.1039/c8cs00398j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
An increased synergy between experimental and theoretical investigations in heterogeneous catalysis has become apparent during the last decade. Experimental work has extended from ultra-high vacuum and low temperature towards operando conditions. These developments have motivated the computational community to move from standard descriptive computational models, based on inspection of the potential energy surface at 0 K and low reactant concentrations (0 K/UHV model), to more realistic conditions. The transition from 0 K/UHV to operando models has been backed by significant developments in computer hardware and software over the past few decades. New methodological developments, designed to overcome part of the gap between 0 K/UHV and operando conditions, include (i) global optimization techniques, (ii) ab initio constrained thermodynamics, (iii) biased molecular dynamics, (iv) microkinetic models of reaction networks and (v) machine learning approaches. The importance of the transition is highlighted by discussing how the molecular level picture of catalytic sites and the associated reaction mechanisms changes when the chemical environment, pressure and temperature effects are correctly accounted for in molecular simulations. It is the purpose of this review to discuss each method on an equal footing, and to draw connections between methods, particularly where they may be applied in combination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukáš Grajciar
- Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry
, Faculty of Science
, Charles University in Prague
,
128 43 Prague 2
, Czech Republic
.
;
;
| | - Christopher J. Heard
- Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry
, Faculty of Science
, Charles University in Prague
,
128 43 Prague 2
, Czech Republic
.
;
;
| | - Anton A. Bondarenko
- TheoMAT group
, ITMO University
,
Lomonosova 9
, St. Petersburg
, 191002
, Russia
| | - Mikhail V. Polynski
- TheoMAT group
, ITMO University
,
Lomonosova 9
, St. Petersburg
, 191002
, Russia
| | - Jittima Meeprasert
- Inorganic Systems Engineering group
, Department of Chemical Engineering
, Faculty of Applied Sciences
, Delft University of Technology
,
Van der Maasweg 9
, 2629 HZ Delft
, The Netherlands
.
| | - Evgeny A. Pidko
- TheoMAT group
, ITMO University
,
Lomonosova 9
, St. Petersburg
, 191002
, Russia
- Inorganic Systems Engineering group
, Department of Chemical Engineering
, Faculty of Applied Sciences
, Delft University of Technology
,
Van der Maasweg 9
, 2629 HZ Delft
, The Netherlands
.
| | - Petr Nachtigall
- Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry
, Faculty of Science
, Charles University in Prague
,
128 43 Prague 2
, Czech Republic
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18
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Kawamura K, Konagaya N, Maruoka Y. Enhancement and Inhibitory Activities of Minerals for Alanine Oligopeptide Elongation Under Hydrothermal Conditions. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:1403-1413. [PMID: 30160529 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In a previous study, we have showed that the elongation of an alanine oligopeptide [L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-alanine ((Ala)4)] to higher oligopeptides is enhanced by calcite and dolomite at 275°C, using a mineral-mediated hydrothermal flow reactor system. However, a problem during the use of hydrothermal flow reactor system was that some of the minerals, such as clay, could not be tested due to their clogging in the reactor. In this article, we attempted to analyze the scope of enhancement for the formation of L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-alanine ((Ala)5) and higher oligopeptides with different minerals including clay minerals for the elongation of alanine oligopeptide at 175°C. First, carbonate minerals and some clay minerals showed an enhancement of the formation of (Ala)5 from (Ala)4. On the contrary, volcanic products showed strong inhibitory activities. According to the pH dependence on the (Ala)4 elongations, we confirmed that most enhancement and inhibitory activities are due to the pH influence on the elongation of (Ala)4. However, the enhancement of montmorillonite (Tsukinuno), sphalerite, apatite, tourmaline, calcite (Nitto Funka), and the inhibitory activities by volcanic ash (Shinmoedake), volcanic ash (Sakurajima), dickite, and pyrophillite are not simply due to the pH change in the presence of these minerals. The difference found between the previous and present studies suggests that the interaction kinetics of the aqueous phase with the mineral phase is also an important factor for the elongation of (Ala)4. These data imply that the environments with pH near neutral to weak alkaline and with minerals might have been useful for the accumulation of oligopeptides in hydrothermal conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunio Kawamura
- 1 Department of Human Environmental Studies, Hiroshima Shudo University , Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Noriko Konagaya
- 2 Department of Nutritional Sciences, Yasuda Women's University , Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Maruoka
- 1 Department of Human Environmental Studies, Hiroshima Shudo University , Hiroshima, Japan
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19
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Pérez-Villa A, Saitta AM, Georgelin T, Lambert JF, Guyot F, Maurel MC, Pietrucci F. Synthesis of RNA Nucleotides in Plausible Prebiotic Conditions from ab Initio Computer Simulations. J Phys Chem Lett 2018; 9:4981-4987. [PMID: 30107125 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b02077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanism of spontaneous formation of ribonucleotides under realistic prebiotic conditions is a key open issue of origins-of-life research. In cells, de novo and salvage nucleotide enzymatic synthesis combines 5-phospho-α-d-ribose-1-diphosphate (α-PRPP) and nucleobases. Interestingly, these reactants are also known as prebiotically plausible compounds. Combining ab initio molecular dynamics simulations with recently developed reaction exploration and enhanced sampling methods, we show that nucleobases and α-PRPP should spontaneously combine, under mild hydrothermal conditions, with an exothermic reaction and a facile mechanism, forming both purine and pyrimidine ribonucleotides. Surprisingly, this mechanism is very similar to the biological one and yields ribonucleotides with the same anomeric carbon chirality as in biological systems. Mass spectrometry experiments performed on solutions of adenine and PRPP in similar conditions support the formation of AMP. These results suggest that natural selection might have optimized, through enzymes, a pre-existing ribonucleotide formation mechanism, carrying it forward to modern life forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Pérez-Villa
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR CNRS 7590, IRD, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matriaux et de Cosmochimie, IMPMC, F-75005 Paris , France
| | - A Marco Saitta
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR CNRS 7590, IRD, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matriaux et de Cosmochimie, IMPMC, F-75005 Paris , France
| | - Thomas Georgelin
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 7197, Laboratoire de Réactivité de Surface, LRS, F-75005 Paris , France
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR 4301, F-45071 Orléans , France
| | - Jean-François Lambert
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 7197, Laboratoire de Réactivité de Surface, LRS, F-75005 Paris , France
| | - François Guyot
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR CNRS 7590, IRD, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matriaux et de Cosmochimie, IMPMC, F-75005 Paris , France
| | - Marie-Christine Maurel
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS MNHN UMR 7205, Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISyEB, F-75005 Paris , France
| | - Fabio Pietrucci
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR CNRS 7590, IRD, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matriaux et de Cosmochimie, IMPMC, F-75005 Paris , France
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20
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Fang Y, Zhou W, Tang C, Huang Y, Johnson DM, Ren ZJ, Ma W. Brönsted Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Microcystin-LR by Siderite. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:6426-6437. [PMID: 29697970 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b06096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Six naturally occurring minerals were employed to catalyze the hydrolysis of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) in water. After preliminary screening experiments, siderite stood out among these minerals due to its higher activity and selectivity. In comparison with kaolinite, which is known to act as a Lewis acid catalyst, siderite was found to act primarily as a Brönsted acid catalyst in the hydrolysis of MC-LR. More interestingly, we found that the presence of humic acid significantly inhibited catalytic efficiency of kaolinite, while the efficiency of siderite remained high (∼98%). Reaction intermediates detected by LC-ESI/MS were used to indicate cleavage points in the macrocyclic ring of MC-LR, and XPS was used to characterize siderite interaction with MC-LR. Detailed analysis of the in situ ATR-FTIR absorption spectra of MC-LR indicated hydrogen bonding at the siderite-water-MC-LR interface. A metastable ring, involving hydrogen bonding, between surface bicarbonate of siderite and an amide of MC-LR was proposed to explain the higher activity and selectivity toward MC-LR. Furthermore, siderite was found to reduce the toxicity of MC-LR to mice by hydrolyzing MC-LR peptide bonds. The study demonstrates the potential of siderite, an earth-abundant and biocompatible mineral, for removing MC-LR from water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfen Fang
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences , China Three Gorges University , Yichang 443002 , China
- Innovation Center for Geo-Hazards and Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Area , Hubei Province , Yichang 443002 , China
| | - Wei Zhou
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences , China Three Gorges University , Yichang 443002 , China
| | - Changcun Tang
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences , China Three Gorges University , Yichang 443002 , China
| | - Yingping Huang
- Innovation Center for Geo-Hazards and Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Area , Hubei Province , Yichang 443002 , China
| | - David Mark Johnson
- Innovation Center for Geo-Hazards and Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Area , Hubei Province , Yichang 443002 , China
| | - Zhiyong Jason Ren
- Innovation Center for Geo-Hazards and Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Area , Hubei Province , Yichang 443002 , China
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering , University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder , Colorado 80309 , United States
| | - Wanhong Ma
- Innovation Center for Geo-Hazards and Eco-Environment in Three Gorges Area , Hubei Province , Yichang 443002 , China
- Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190 , China
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21
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Rimola A, Fabbiani M, Sodupe M, Ugliengo P, Martra G. How Does Silica Catalyze the Amide Bond Formation under Dry Conditions? Role of Specific Surface Silanol Pairs. ACS Catal 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.7b03961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Albert Rimola
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Marco Fabbiani
- Dipartimento de Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Università degli Studi dell’insubria, Via Valleggio 11, 22100 Como, Italy
| | - Mariona Sodupe
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Piero Ugliengo
- Dipartimento di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS) Inter-Departmental centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Gianmario Martra
- Dipartimento di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS) Inter-Departmental centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
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22
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Akizuki
- Department of Environment Systems, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan
| | - Yoshito Oshima
- Department of Environment Systems, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8563, Japan
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23
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Prabhakar S, Melnik R. Influence of Mg2+, SO42− and Na+ ions of sea water in crude oil recovery: DFT and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2017.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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24
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Jiang S, Chekini M, Qu ZB, Wang Y, Yeltik A, Liu Y, Kotlyar A, Zhang T, Li B, Demir HV, Kotov NA. Chiral Ceramic Nanoparticles and Peptide Catalysis. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:13701-13712. [PMID: 28803469 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b01445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The chirality of nanoparticles (NPs) and their assemblies has been investigated predominantly for noble metals and II-VI semiconductors. However, ceramic NPs represent the majority of nanoscale materials in nature. The robustness and other innate properties of ceramics offer technological opportunities in catalysis, biomedical sciences, and optics. Here we report the preparation of chiral ceramic NPs, as represented by tungsten oxide hydrate, WO3-x·H2O, dispersed in ethanol. The chirality of the metal oxide core, with an average size of ca. 1.6 nm, is imparted by proline (Pro) and aspartic acid (Asp) ligands via bio-to-nano chirality transfer. The amino acids are attached to the NP surface through C-O-W linkages formed from dissociated carboxyl groups and through amino groups weakly coordinated to the NP surface. Surprisingly, the dominant circular dichroism bands for NPs coated by Pro and Asp are different despite the similarity in the geometry of the NPs; they are positioned at 400-700 nm and 500-1100 nm for Pro- and Asp-modified NPs, respectively. The differences in the spectral positions of the main chiroptical band for the two types of NPs are associated with the molecular binding of the two amino acids to the NP surface; Asp has one additional C-O-W linkage compared to Pro, resulting in stronger distortion of the inorganic crystal lattice and greater intensity of CD bands associated with the chirality of the inorganic core. The chirality of WO3-x·H2O atomic structure is confirmed by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. The proximity of the amino acids to the mineral surface is associated with the catalytic abilities of WO3-x·H2O NPs. We found that NPs facilitate formation of peptide bonds, leading to Asp-Asp and Asp-Pro dipeptides. The chiroptical activity, chemical reactivity, and biocompatibility of tungsten oxide create a unique combination of properties relevant to chiral optics, chemical technologies, and biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Jiang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Applied Catalysis Science and Technology, Tianjin University , Tianjin 300354, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) , Tianjin 300354, China.,Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Functional Fine Chemicals , Tianjin 300354, China
| | | | | | | | - Aydan Yeltik
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Department of Physics, UNAM, Bilkent University , 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yuangang Liu
- College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University , Xiamen 361021, China
| | | | - Tianyong Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Applied Catalysis Science and Technology, Tianjin University , Tianjin 300354, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) , Tianjin 300354, China.,Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Functional Fine Chemicals , Tianjin 300354, China
| | - Bin Li
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Applied Catalysis Science and Technology, Tianjin University , Tianjin 300354, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) , Tianjin 300354, China.,Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Functional Fine Chemicals , Tianjin 300354, China
| | - Hilmi Volkan Demir
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Department of Physics, UNAM, Bilkent University , 06800 Ankara, Turkey.,School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, LUMINOUS! Center of Excellence for Semiconductor Lighting and Displays, Nanyang Technological University , 639798 Singapore
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25
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Lupas AN, Alva V. Ribosomal proteins as documents of the transition from unstructured (poly)peptides to folded proteins. J Struct Biol 2017; 198:74-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2017.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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26
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Muñoz-Santiburcio D, Marx D. Chemistry in nanoconfined water. Chem Sci 2017; 8:3444-3452. [PMID: 28507716 PMCID: PMC5418629 DOI: 10.1039/c6sc04989c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanoconfined liquids have extremely different properties from the bulk, which profoundly affects chemical reactions taking place in nanosolvation.
Nanoconfined liquids have extremely different properties from the bulk, which profoundly affects chemical reactions taking place in nanosolvation. Here, we present extensive ab initio simulations of a vast set of chemical reactions within a water lamella that is nanoconfined by mineral surfaces, which might be relevant to prebiotic peptide formation in aqueous environments. Our results disclose a rich interplay of distinct effects, from steric factors typical of reactions occurring in small spaces to a charge-stabilization effect in nanoconfined water at extreme conditions similar to that observed in bulk water when changing from extreme to ambient conditions. These effects are found to modify significantly not only the energetics but also the mechanisms of reactions happening in nanoconfined water in comparison to the corresponding bulk regime.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dominik Marx
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie , Ruhr - Universität Bochum , 44780 Bochum , Germany .
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27
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Muñoz-Santiburcio D, Marx D. On the complex structural diffusion of proton holes in nanoconfined alkaline solutions within slit pores. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12625. [PMID: 27550616 PMCID: PMC4996981 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12625] [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: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The hydroxide anion OH−(aq) in homogeneous bulk water, that is, the solvated proton hole, is known to feature peculiar properties compared with excess protons solvated therein. In this work, it is disclosed that nanoconfinement of such alkaline aqueous solutions strongly affects the key structural and dynamical properties of OH−(aq) compared with the bulk limit. The combined effect of the preferred hypercoordinated solvation pattern of OH−(aq), its preferred perpendicular orientation relative to the confining surfaces, the pronounced layering of nanoconfined water and the topology of the hydrogen bond network required for proton hole transfer lead to major changes of the charge transport mechanism, in such a way that the proton hole migration mechanism depends exquisitely on the width of the confined space that hosts the water film. Moreover, the anionic Zundel complex, which is of transient nature in homogeneous bulk solutions, can be dynamically trapped as a shallow intermediate species by suitable nanoconfinement conditions. Confined liquids can exhibit very different properties compared with the bulk. Here, the authors show that the migration mechanism of the hydroxide anion in water is greatly affected by bi-dimensional nano-confinement and strongly depends on the width of the confined space.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dominik Marx
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
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28
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Stirling A, Rozgonyi T, Krack M, Bernasconi M. Prebiotic NH3 Formation: Insights from Simulations. Inorg Chem 2016; 55:1934-9. [PMID: 26831570 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b02911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Simulations of prebiotic NH₃ synthesis from NO₃⁻ and NO₂⁻ on pyrite surfaces under hydrothermal conditions are reported. Ab initio metadynamics calculations have successfully explored the full reaction path which explains earlier experimental observations. We have found that the reaction mechanism can be constructed from stepwise single atom transfers which are compatible with the expected reaction time scales. The roles of the hot-pressurized water and of the pyrite surfaces have been addressed. The mechanistic picture that emerged from the simulations strengthens the theory of chemoautotrophic origin of life by providing plausible reaction pathways for the formation of ammonia within the iron-sulfur-world scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Stirling
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences , POB 286, Budapest, 1519, Hungary
| | - Tamás Rozgonyi
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences , POB 286, Budapest, 1519, Hungary
| | - Matthias Krack
- Laboratory for Reactor Physics and Systems Behaviour, Paul Scherrer Institute , 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Marco Bernasconi
- Department of Materials Science, University of Milano-Bicocca , Via R. Cozzi 55, Milano, Italy
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29
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Martínez-Suárez L, Siemer N, Frenzel J, Marx D. Reaction Network of Methanol Synthesis over Cu/ZnO Nanocatalysts. ACS Catal 2015. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.5b00442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Martínez-Suárez
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr−Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Niklas Siemer
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr−Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Johannes Frenzel
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr−Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Dominik Marx
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr−Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
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30
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Stirling A, Rozgonyi T, Krack M, Bernasconi M. Pyrite in contact with supercritical water: the desolation of steam. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2015; 17:17375-9. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cp01146a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The supercritical water and pyrite interface has been studied by DFT calculations. A surprisingly dry surface has been found which points to a new reactivity under extreme conditions which has relevance in the iron–sulfur world prebiotic chemistry of the early Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Stirling
- Institute of Organic Chemistry
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
- Budapest
- Hungary
| | - Tamás Rozgonyi
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
- Budapest
- Hungary
| | - Matthias Krack
- Laboratory for Reactor Physics and Systems Behaviour
- Paul Scherrer Institute
- CH-5232 Villigen PSI
- Switzerland
| | - Marco Bernasconi
- Department of Materials Science
- University of Milano-Bicocca
- I-20125 Milano
- Italy
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31
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The place of RNA in the origin and early evolution of the genetic machinery. Life (Basel) 2014; 4:1050-91. [PMID: 25532530 PMCID: PMC4284482 DOI: 10.3390/life4041050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The extant genetic machinery revolves around three interrelated polymers: RNA, DNA and proteins. Two evolutionary views approach this vital connection from opposite perspectives. The RNA World theory posits that life began in a cold prebiotic broth of monomers with the de novo emergence of replicating RNA as functionally self-contained polymer and that subsequent evolution is characterized by RNA → DNA memory takeover and ribozyme → enzyme catalyst takeover. The FeS World theory posits that life began as an autotrophic metabolism in hot volcanic-hydrothermal fluids and evolved with organic products turning into ligands for transition metal catalysts thereby eliciting feedback and feed-forward effects. In this latter context it is posited that the three polymers of the genetic machinery essentially coevolved from monomers through oligomers to polymers, operating functionally first as ligands for ligand-accelerated transition metal catalysis with later addition of base stacking and base pairing, whereby the functional dichotomy between hereditary DNA with stability on geologic time scales and transient, catalytic RNA with stability on metabolic time scales existed since the dawn of the genetic machinery. Both approaches are assessed comparatively for chemical soundness.
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32
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Frenzel J, Marx D. Methanol synthesis on ZnO(0001¯). IV. Reaction mechanisms and electronic structure. J Chem Phys 2014; 141:124710. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4896053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Frenzel
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Dominik Marx
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
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33
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Abstract
The celebrated Miller experiments reported on the spontaneous formation of amino acids from a mixture of simple molecules reacting under an electric discharge, giving birth to the research field of prebiotic chemistry. However, the chemical reactions involved in those experiments have never been studied at the atomic level. Here we report on, to our knowledge, the first ab initio computer simulations of Miller-like experiments in the condensed phase. Our study, based on the recent method of treatment of aqueous systems under electric fields and on metadynamics analysis of chemical reactions, shows that glycine spontaneously forms from mixtures of simple molecules once an electric field is switched on and identifies formic acid and formamide as key intermediate products of the early steps of the Miller reactions, and the crucible of formation of complex biological molecules.
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34
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Fuchida S, Masuda H, Shinoda K. Peptide formation mechanism on montmorillonite under thermal conditions. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2014; 44:13-28. [PMID: 24917118 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-014-9359-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The oligomerization of amino acids is an essential process in the chemical evolution of proteins, which are precursors to life on Earth. Although some researchers have observed peptide formation on clay mineral surfaces, the mechanism of peptide bond formation on the clay mineral surface has not been clarified. In this study, the thermal behavior of glycine (Gly) adsorbed on montmorillonite was observed during heating experiments conducted at 150 °C for 336 h under dry, wet, and dry-wet conditions to clarify the mechanism. Approximately 13.9 % of the Gly monomers became peptides on montmorillonite under dry conditions, with diketopiperazine (cyclic dimer) being the main product. On the other hand, peptides were not synthesized in the absence of montmorillonite. Results of IR analysis showed that the Gly monomer was mainly adsorbed via hydrogen bonding between the positively charged amino groups and negatively charged surface sites (i.e., Lewis base sites) on the montmorillonite surface, indicating that the Lewis base site acts as a catalyst for peptide formation. In contrast, peptides were not detected on montmorillonite heated under wet conditions, since excess water shifted the equilibrium towards hydrolysis of the peptides. The presence of water is likely to control thermodynamic peptide production, and clay minerals, especially those with electrophilic defect sites, seem to act as a kinetic catalyst for the peptide formation reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeshi Fuchida
- Department of Geosciences, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan,
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35
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Pollack JD, Gerard D, Pearl DK. Uniquely localized intra-molecular amino acid concentrations at the glycolytic enzyme catalytic/active centers of Archaea, Bacteria and Eukaryota are associated with their proposed temporal appearances on earth. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2013; 43:161-87. [PMID: 23715690 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-013-9331-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The distributions of amino acids at most-conserved sites nearest catalytic/active centers (C/AC) in 4,645 sequences of ten enzymes of the glycolytic Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway in Archaea, Bacteria and Eukaryota are similar to the proposed temporal order of their appearance on Earth. Glycine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, glutamic acid and possibly lysine often described as prebiotic, i.e., existing or occurring before the emergence of life, were localized in positional and conservational defined aggregations in all enzymes of all Domains. The distributions of all 20 biologic amino acids in most-conserved sites nearest their C/ACs were quite different either from distributions in sites less-conserved and further from their C/ACs or from all amino acids regardless of their position or conservation. The major concentrations of glycine, e.g., perhaps the earliest prebiotic amino acid, occupies ≈ 16 % of all the most-conserved sites within a volume of ≈ 7-8 Å radius from their C/ACs and decreases linearly towards the molecule's peripheries. Spatially localized major concentrations of isoleucine, leucine and valine are in the mid-conserved and mid-distant sites from their C/ACs in protein interiors. Lysine and glutamic acid comprise ≈ 25-30 % of all amino acids within an irregular volume bounded by ≈ 24-28 Å radii from their C/ACs at the most-distant least-conserved sites. The unreported characteristics of these amino acids: their spatially and conservationally identified concentrations in Archaea, Bacteria and Eukaryota, suggest some common structural organization of glycolytic enzymes that may be relevant to their evolution and that of other proteins. We discuss our data in relation to enzyme evolution, their reported prebiotic putative temporal appearances on Earth, abundances, biological "cost", neighbor-sequence preferences or "ordering" and some thermodynamic parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Dennis Pollack
- Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, The College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Wittekindt C, Marx D. Water confined between sheets of mackinawite FeS minerals. J Chem Phys 2012; 137:054710. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4739538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Cleaves HJ, Michalkova Scott A, Hill FC, Leszczynski J, Sahai N, Hazen R. Mineral-organic interfacial processes: potential roles in the origins of life. Chem Soc Rev 2012; 41:5502-25. [PMID: 22743683 DOI: 10.1039/c2cs35112a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Life is believed to have originated on Earth ∼4.4-3.5 Ga ago, via processes in which organic compounds supplied by the environment self-organized, in some geochemical environmental niches, into systems capable of replication with hereditary mutation. This process is generally supposed to have occurred in an aqueous environment and, likely, in the presence of minerals. Mineral surfaces present rich opportunities for heterogeneous catalysis and concentration which may have significantly altered and directed the process of prebiotic organic complexification leading to life. We review here general concepts in prebiotic mineral-organic interfacial processes, as well as recent advances in the study of mineral surface-organic interactions of potential relevance to understanding the origin of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- H James Cleaves
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Washington, DC 20016, USA
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Danger G, Plasson R, Pascal R. Pathways for the formation and evolution of peptides in prebiotic environments. Chem Soc Rev 2012; 41:5416-29. [PMID: 22688720 DOI: 10.1039/c2cs35064e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
α-Amino acids are easily accessible through abiotic processes and were likely present before the emergence of life. However, the role they could have played in the process remains uncertain. Chemical pathways that could have brought about features of self-organization in a peptide world are considered in this review and discussed in relation with their possible contribution to the origin of life. An overall scheme is proposed with an emphasis on possibilities that may have led to dynamically stable far from equilibrium states. This analysis defines new lines of investigation towards a better understanding of the contribution of the systems chemistry of amino acids and peptides to the emergence of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire Danger
- Spectrométries et Dynamique Moléculaire, Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires (UMR CNRS 7345, Université de Provence) - Centre de St Jérôme - case 252, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niémen, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20, France.
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