1
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Bocková J, Jones NC, Hoffmann SV, Meinert C. The astrochemical evolutionary traits of phospholipid membrane homochirality. Nat Rev Chem 2024:10.1038/s41570-024-00627-w. [PMID: 39025922 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-024-00627-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Compartmentalization is crucial for the evolution of life. Present-day phospholipid membranes exhibit a high level of complexity and species-dependent homochirality, the so-called lipid divide. It is possible that less stable, yet more dynamic systems, promoting out-of-equilibrium environments, facilitated the evolution of life at its early stages. The composition of the preceding primitive membranes and the evolutionary route towards complexity and homochirality remain unexplained. Organics-rich carbonaceous chondrites are evidence of the ample diversity of interstellar chemistry, which may have enriched the prebiotic milieu on early Earth. This Review evaluates the detections of simple amphiphiles - likely ancestors of membrane phospholipids - in extraterrestrial samples and analogues, along with potential pathways to form primitive compartments on primeval Earth. The chiroptical properties of the chiral backbones of phospholipids provide a guide for future investigations into the origins of phospholipid membrane homochirality. We highlight a plausible common pathway towards homochirality of lipids, amino acids, and sugars starting from enantioenriched monomers. Finally, given their high recalcitrance and resistance to degradation, lipids are among the best candidate biomarkers in exobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Bocková
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, CNRS UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Nykola C Jones
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Søren V Hoffmann
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, CNRS UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France.
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2
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Bechtel M, Kurrle NJ, Trapp O. A Prebiotic Pathway to Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide. Chemistry 2024:e202402055. [PMID: 38884181 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202402055] [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: 05/26/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Enzymes play a fundamental role in cellular metabolism. A wide range of enzymes require the presence of complementary coenzymes and cofactors to function properly. While coenzymes are believed to have been part of the last universal ancestor (LUCA) or have been present even earlier, the syntheses of crucial coenzymes like the redox-active coenzymes flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) remain challenging. Here, we present a pathway to NAD+ under prebiotic conditions starting with ammonia, cyanoacetaldehyde, prop-2-ynal and sugar-forming precursors, yielding in situ the nicotinamide riboside. Regioselective phosphorylation and water stable light activated adenosine monophosphate derivatives allow for topographically and irradiation-controlled formation of NAD+. Our findings indicate that NAD+, a coenzyme vital to life, can be formed non-enzymatically from simple organic feedstock molecules via photocatalytic activation under prebiotically plausible early Earth conditions in a continuous process under aqueous conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Bechtel
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Nathalie J Kurrle
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Oliver Trapp
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
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3
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Aroskay A, Martin E, Bekki S, Le Pennec JL, Savarino J, Temel A, Manrique N, Aguilar R, Rivera M, Guillou H, Balcone-Boissard H, Phelip O, Szopa S. Geological evidence of extensive N-fixation by volcanic lightning during very large explosive eruptions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309131121. [PMID: 38315852 PMCID: PMC10873604 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309131121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Most of the nitrogen (N) accessible for life is trapped in dinitrogen (N2), the most stable atmospheric molecule. In order to be metabolized by living organisms, N2 has to be converted into biologically assimilable forms, so-called fixed N. Nowadays, nearly all the N-fixation is achieved through biological and anthropogenic processes. However, in early prebiotic environments of the Earth, N-fixation must have occurred via natural abiotic processes. One of the most invoked processes is electrical discharges, including from thunderstorms and lightning associated with volcanic eruptions. Despite the frequent occurrence of volcanic lightning during explosive eruptions and convincing laboratory experimentation, no evidence of substantial N-fixation has been found in any geological archive. Here, we report on the discovery of a significant amount of nitrate in volcanic deposits from Neogene caldera-forming eruptions, which are well correlated with the concentrations of species directly emitted by volcanoes (sulfur, chlorine). The multi-isotopic composition (δ18O, Δ17O) of the nitrates reveals that they originate from the atmospheric oxidation of nitrogen oxides formed by volcanic lightning. According to these first geological volcanic nitrate archive, we estimate that, on average, about 60 Tg of N can be fixed during a large explosive event. Our findings hint at a unique role potentially played by subaerial explosive eruptions in supplying essential ingredients for the emergence of life on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeline Aroskay
- Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (ISTeP - UMR7193), Sorbonne Université, Paris75005, France
| | - Erwan Martin
- Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (ISTeP - UMR7193), Sorbonne Université, Paris75005, France
| | - Slimane Bekki
- Laboratoire Atmosphère, Obsevation spaticale (LATMOS - UMR 8190), Sorbonne Uiversité, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Paris75005, France
| | - Jean-Luc Le Pennec
- Geo-Ocean, University of Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, UMR6538, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Plouzané29280, France
| | - Joël Savarino
- Institut des Géiosciences et de l’Environnement (IGE - UMR 5001), Université de Grenoble, Saint Martin d’Hères38400, France
| | - Abidin Temel
- Department of Geological Engineering, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Beytepe06800, Turkey
| | - Nelida Manrique
- Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico, Arequipa, Yanahuara04013, Peru
| | - Rigoberto Aguilar
- Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico, Arequipa, Yanahuara04013, Peru
| | - Marco Rivera
- Instituto Geofísico del Perú Observatorio Vulcanológico del Sur, Arequipa, Sachaca04013, Peru
| | - Hervé Guillou
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE - UMR8212), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette91491, France
| | - Hélène Balcone-Boissard
- Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (ISTeP - UMR7193), Sorbonne Université, Paris75005, France
| | - Océane Phelip
- Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (ISTeP - UMR7193), Sorbonne Université, Paris75005, France
| | - Sophie Szopa
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE - UMR8212), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette91491, France
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4
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Mao Z, Fleming JR, Mayans O, Frey J, Schleheck D, Schink B, Müller N. AMP-dependent phosphite dehydrogenase, a phosphorylating enzyme in dissimilatory phosphite oxidation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2309743120. [PMID: 37922328 PMCID: PMC10636320 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309743120] [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: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxidation of phosphite (HPO32-) to phosphate (HPO42-) releases electrons at a very low redox potential (E0'= -690 mV) which renders phosphite an excellent electron donor for microbial energy metabolism. To date, two pure cultures of strictly anaerobic bacteria have been isolated that run their energy metabolism on the basis of phosphite oxidation, the Gram-negative Desulfotignum phosphitoxidans (DSM 13687) and the Gram-positive Phosphitispora fastidiosa (DSM 112739). Here, we describe the key enzyme for dissimilatory phosphite oxidation in these bacteria. The enzyme catalyzed phosphite oxidation in the presence of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to form adenosine diphosphate (ADP), with concomitant reduction of oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). The enzyme of P. fastidiosa was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. It has a molecular mass of 35.2 kDa and a high affinity for phosphite and NAD+. Its activity was enhanced more than 100-fold by addition of ADP-consuming adenylate kinase (myokinase) to a maximal activity between 30 and 80 mU x mg protein-1. A similar NAD-dependent enzyme oxidizing phosphite to phosphate with concomitant phosphorylation of AMP to ADP is found in D. phosphitoxidans, but this enzyme could not be heterologously expressed. Based on sequence analysis, these phosphite-oxidizing enzymes are related to nucleotide-diphosphate-sugar epimerases and indeed represent AMP-dependent phosphite dehydrogenases (ApdA). A reaction mechanism is proposed for this unusual type of substrate-level phosphorylation reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuqing Mao
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance78457, Germany
- Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, Departments of Chemistry and Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance78457, Germany
| | - Jennifer R. Fleming
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance78457, Germany
- Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, Departments of Chemistry and Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance78457, Germany
| | - Olga Mayans
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance78457, Germany
- Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, Departments of Chemistry and Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance78457, Germany
| | - Jasmin Frey
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance78457, Germany
| | - David Schleheck
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance78457, Germany
- Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, Departments of Chemistry and Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance78457, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schink
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance78457, Germany
- Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, Departments of Chemistry and Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance78457, Germany
| | - Nicolai Müller
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Constance78457, Germany
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Pantaleone S, Corno M, Rimola A, Balucani N, Ugliengo P. Computational Study on the Water Corrosion Process at Schreibersite (Fe 2NiP) Surfaces: from Phosphide to Phosphates. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2023; 7:2050-2061. [PMID: 37876665 PMCID: PMC10591503 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) is a fundamental element for whatever form of life, in the same way as the other biogenic macroelements (SONCH). The prebiotic origin of P is still a matter of debate, as the phosphates present on earth are trapped in almost insoluble solid matrixes (apatites) and, therefore, hardly available for inclusion in living systems in the prebiotic era. The most accepted theories regard a possible exogenous origin during the Archean Era, through the meteoritic bombardment, when tons of reactive P in the form of phosphide ((Fe,Ni)3P, schreibersite mineral) reached the primordial earth, reacting with water and providing oxygenated phosphorus compounds (including phosphates). In the last 20 years, laboratory experiments demonstrated that the corrosion process of schreibersite by water indeed leads to reactive phosphates that, in turn, react with other biological building blocks (nucleosides and simple sugars) to form more complex molecules (nucleotides and complex sugars). In the present paper, we study the water corrosion of different crystalline surfaces of schreibersite by means of periodic DFT (density functional theory) simulations. Our results show that water adsorbs molecularly on the most stable (110) surface but dissociates on the less stable (001) one, giving rise to further reactivity. Indeed, subsequent water adsorptions, up to the water monolayer coverage, show that, on the (001) surface, iron and nickel atoms are the first species undergoing the corrosion process and, in a second stage, the phosphorus atoms also get involved. When adsorbing up to three and four water molecules per unit cell, the most stable structures found are the phosphite and phosphate forms of phosphorus, respectively. Simulation of the vibrational spectra of the considered reaction products revealed that the experimental band at 2423 cm-1 attributed to the P-H stretching frequency is indeed predicted for a phosphite moiety attached to the schreibersite (001) surface upon chemisorption of up to three water molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Pantaleone
- Dipartimento
di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS) Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, via P. Giuria 7,, I-10125 Torino, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università
degli Studi di Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, I-06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Marta Corno
- Dipartimento
di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS) Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, via P. Giuria 7,, I-10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Albert Rimola
- Departament
de Química, Universitat Autònoma
de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Nadia Balucani
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università
degli Studi di Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, I-06123 Perugia, Italy
- Osservatorio
Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze, Italy
- Université
Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique
de Grenoble (IPAG), F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Piero Ugliengo
- Dipartimento
di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS) Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, via P. Giuria 7,, I-10125 Torino, Italy
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6
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Nicholls JWF, Chin JP, Williams TA, Lenton TM, O’Flaherty V, McGrath JW. On the potential roles of phosphorus in the early evolution of energy metabolism. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1239189. [PMID: 37601379 PMCID: PMC10433651 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1239189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Energy metabolism in extant life is centered around phosphate and the energy-dense phosphoanhydride bonds of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a deeply conserved and ancient bioenergetic system. Yet, ATP synthesis relies on numerous complex enzymes and has an autocatalytic requirement for ATP itself. This implies the existence of evolutionarily simpler bioenergetic pathways and potentially primordial alternatives to ATP. The centrality of phosphate in modern bioenergetics, coupled with the energetic properties of phosphorylated compounds, may suggest that primordial precursors to ATP also utilized phosphate in compounds such as pyrophosphate, acetyl phosphate and polyphosphate. However, bioavailable phosphate may have been notably scarce on the early Earth, raising doubts about the roles that phosphorylated molecules might have played in the early evolution of life. A largely overlooked phosphorus redox cycle on the ancient Earth might have provided phosphorus and energy, with reduced phosphorus compounds potentially playing a key role in the early evolution of energy metabolism. Here, we speculate on the biological phosphorus compounds that may have acted as primordial energy currencies, sources of environmental energy, or sources of phosphorus for the synthesis of phosphorylated energy currencies. This review encompasses discussions on the evolutionary history of modern bioenergetics, and specifically those pathways with primordial relevance, and the geochemistry of bioavailable phosphorus on the ancient Earth. We highlight the importance of phosphorus, not only in the form of phosphate, to early biology and suggest future directions of study that may improve our understanding of the early evolution of bioenergetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack W. F. Nicholls
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University of Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Jason P. Chin
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University of Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Tom A. Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy M. Lenton
- Global Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | | | - John W. McGrath
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University of Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
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7
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Çalışkanoğlu AZ, Camara ASB, Cimarelli C, Dingwell DB, Hess KU. Experimental generation of fulgurite under realistic lightning discharge conditions. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11685. [PMID: 37468537 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38781-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Fulgurites have been documented in geological deposits from throughout Earth's history. They have also been assigned a potential role in prebiotic chemistry as a source of reactants. Fulgurites are generated in nature by cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. The unpredictability in space and time of the occurrence of lightning events has limited the investigation of both the mechanisms by, and the conditions under, which fulgurites form. A laboratory-based approach can mitigate these limitations. Here, we describe experimentally generated fulgurites generated from Laacher See volcanic ash. We employ a DC source with a trigger-pulse setup in a high voltage laboratory, whose capabilities enable experimental conditions that correspond closely to the electrical characteristics of natural lightning strikes. The experimentally generated fulgurites closely resemble naturally-occurring fulgurites in both state and texture. These experimental investigations yield a high reproducibility of the characteristic of fulgurites generated under well-constrained conditions, enabling some inferences to be made regarding the processes involved in the generation of fulgurites in nature. This work provides a basis for a systematic characterization of experimental fulgurites and the characteristic of lightning discharges.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Zeynep Çalışkanoğlu
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Theresienstraße 41, 80333, Munich, Germany.
| | - Alessandra S B Camara
- Institute of Energy Systems Munich, Universität der Bundeswehr, Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39, 85577, Neubiberg, Germany
| | - Corrado Cimarelli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Theresienstraße 41, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Donald B Dingwell
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Theresienstraße 41, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Kai-Uwe Hess
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Theresienstraße 41, 80333, Munich, Germany
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8
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Bindi L, Feng T, Pasek MA. Routes to reduction of phosphate by high-energy events. COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 4:70. [PMID: 38665185 PMCID: PMC11041679 DOI: 10.1038/s43247-023-00736-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Phosphate minerals such as those in the apatite group tend to be the dominant forms of phosphorus in minerals on the Earth's surface. Phosphate can be reduced to phosphides during high-energy events, such as lightning and impacts. Here we show that, in addition to formation of metal phosphides, a new compound was formed by lightning in a fulgurite from New Port Richey, Florida, USA. A calcium phosphite material, ideally CaHPO3, was found in spherules mainly consisting of iron silicides that formed by lightning-induced fusion of sand around a tree root. This phosphite material bears a phosphorus oxidation state intermediate of that of phosphides and phosphates in a geologic sample and implicates phosphites as being potentially relevant to other high-energy events where phosphorus may partially change its redox state, and material similar to this phosphite may also be the source of phosphite that makes up part of the phosphorus biogeochemical cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bindi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, Via La Pira 4, I-50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Tian Feng
- Department of Geosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620 USA
| | - Matthew A Pasek
- Department of Geosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620 USA
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9
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Zhang C, Turner AM, Wang J, Marks JH, Fortenberry RC, Kaiser RI. Low-Temperature Thermal Formation of the Cyclic Methylphosphonic Acid Trimer [c-(CH 3 PO 2 ) 3 ]. Chemphyschem 2023; 24:e202200660. [PMID: 36283955 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202200660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
We report the formation of the cyclic methylphosphonic acid trimer [c-(CH3 PO2 )3 ] through condensation reactions during thermal processing of low-temperature methylphosphonic acid samples exploiting photoionization reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PI-ReTOF-MS) along with electronic structure calculations. Cyclic methylphosphonic acid trimers are formed in the solid state and detected together with its protonated species in the gas phase upon single photon ionization. Our studies provide an understanding of the preparation of phosphorus-bearing potentially prebiotic molecules and the fundamental knowledge of low-temperature phosphorus chemistry in extraterrestrial environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaojiang Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.,W. M. Keck Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Andrew M Turner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.,W. M. Keck Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Jia Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.,W. M. Keck Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Joshua H Marks
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.,W. M. Keck Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Ryan C Fortenberry
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Ralf I Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.,W. M. Keck Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
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10
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Guo X, Fu S, Ying J, Zhao Y. Prebiotic chemistry: a review of nucleoside phosphorylation and polymerization. Open Biol 2023; 13:220234. [PMID: 36629018 PMCID: PMC9832566 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The phosphorylation of nucleosides and their polymerization are crucial issues concerning the origin of life. The question of how these plausible chemical processes took place in the prebiotic Earth is still perplexing, despite several studies that have attempted to explain these prebiotic processes. The purpose of this article is to review these chemical reactions with respect to chemical evolution in the primeval Earth. Meanwhile, from our perspective, the chiral properties and selection of biomolecules should be considered in the prebiotic chemical origin of life, which may contribute to further research in this field to some extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofan Guo
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Songsen Fu
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianxi Ying
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yufen Zhao
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China,Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, People's Republic of China
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11
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Sources of Nitrogen-, Sulfur-, and Phosphorus-Containing Feedstocks for Prebiotic Chemistry in the Planetary Environment. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12081268. [PMID: 36013447 PMCID: PMC9410288 DOI: 10.3390/life12081268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Biochemistry on Earth makes use of the key elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur (or CHONPS). Chemically accessible molecules containing these key elements would presumably have been necessary for prebiotic chemistry and the origins of life on Earth. For example, feedstock molecules including fixed nitrogen (e.g., ammonia, nitrite, nitrate), accessible forms of phosphorus (e.g., phosphate, phosphite, etc.), and sources of sulfur (e.g., sulfide, sulfite) may have been necessary for the origins of life, given the biochemistry seen in Earth life today. This review describes potential sources of nitrogen-, sulfur-, and phosphorus-containing molecules in the context of planetary environments. For the early Earth, such considerations may be able to aid in the understanding of our own origins. Additionally, as we learn more about potential environments on other planets (for example, with upcoming next-generation telescope observations or new missions to explore other bodies in our Solar System), evaluating potential sources for elements necessary for life (as we know it) can help constrain the potential habitability of these worlds.
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12
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Gözen I, Köksal ES, Põldsalu I, Xue L, Spustova K, Pedrueza-Villalmanzo E, Ryskulov R, Meng F, Jesorka A. Protocells: Milestones and Recent Advances. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2106624. [PMID: 35322554 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202106624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The origin of life is still one of humankind's great mysteries. At the transition between nonliving and living matter, protocells, initially featureless aggregates of abiotic matter, gain the structure and functions necessary to fulfill the criteria of life. Research addressing protocells as a central element in this transition is diverse and increasingly interdisciplinary. The authors review current protocell concepts and research directions, address milestones, challenges and existing hypotheses in the context of conditions on the early Earth, and provide a concise overview of current protocell research methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irep Gözen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Elif Senem Köksal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Inga Põldsalu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Lin Xue
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Karolina Spustova
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Esteban Pedrueza-Villalmanzo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
- Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Universitetsplatsen 1, Gothenburg, 40530, Sweden
| | - Ruslan Ryskulov
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
| | - Fanda Meng
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
- School of Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250000, China
| | - Aldo Jesorka
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
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13
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Pantaleone S, Corno M, Rimola A, Balucani N, Ugliengo P. Water Interaction with Fe 2NiP Schreibersite (110) Surface: a Quantum Mechanical Atomistic Perspective. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2022; 126:2243-2252. [PMID: 35145576 PMCID: PMC8819687 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c09947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorus is an element of primary importance for all living creatures, being present in many biological activities in the form of phosphate (PO4 3-). However, there are still open questions about the origin of this specific element and on the transformation that allowed it to be incorporated in biological systems. The most probable source of prebiotic phosphorus is the intense meteoritic bombardment during the Archean era, a few million years after the solar system formation, which brought tons of iron-phosphide materials (schreibersite) on the early Earth crust. It was recently demonstrated that by simple wetting/corrosion processes from this material, various oxygenated phosphorus compounds are produced. In the present work, the wetting process of schreibersite (Fe2NiP) was studied by computer simulations using density functional theory, with the PBE functional supplemented with dispersive interactions through a posteriori empirical correction. To start disentangling the complexity of the system, only the most stable (110) surface of Fe2NiP was used simulating different water coverages, from which structures, water binding energies, and vibrational spectra have been predicted. The computed (ana-)harmonic infrared spectra have been compared with the experimental ones, thus, confirming the validity of the adopted methodology and models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Pantaleone
- Dipartimento
di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS) Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, via P. Giuria 7, I-10125, Torino, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università
degli Studi di Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, I-06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Marta Corno
- Dipartimento
di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS) Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, via P. Giuria 7, I-10125, Torino, Italy
| | - Albert Rimola
- Departament
de Química, Universitat Autònoma
de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia Spain
| | - Nadia Balucani
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università
degli Studi di Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, I-06123 Perugia, Italy
- Osservatorio
Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze, Italy
- Université
Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique
de Grenoble (IPAG), F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Piero Ugliengo
- Dipartimento
di Chimica and Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces (NIS) Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, via P. Giuria 7, I-10125, Torino, Italy
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14
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Oxidative Phosphorus Chemistry Perturbed by Minerals. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12020198. [PMID: 35207486 PMCID: PMC8878404 DOI: 10.3390/life12020198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Life is a complex, open chemical system that must be supported with energy inputs. If one fathoms how simple early life must have been, the complexity of modern-day life is staggering by comparison. A minimally complex system that could plausibly provide pyrophosphates for early life could be the oxidation of reduced phosphorus sources such as hypophosphite and phosphite. Like all plausible prebiotic chemistries, this system would have been altered by minerals and rocks in close contact with the evolving solutions. This study addresses the different types of perturbations that minerals might have on this chemical system. This study finds that minerals may inhibit the total production of oxidized phosphorus from reduced phosphorus species, they may facilitate the production of phosphate, or they may facilitate the production of pyrophosphate. This study concludes with the idea that mineral perturbations from the environment increase the chemical complexity of this system.
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15
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OUP accepted manuscript. Metallomics 2022; 14:6549566. [DOI: 10.1093/mtomcs/mfac016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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16
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Gaylor MO, Miro P, Vlaisavljevich B, Kondage AAS, Barge LM, Omran A, Videau P, Swenson VA, Leinen LJ, Fitch NW, Cole KL, Stone C, Drummond SM, Rageth K, Dewitt LR, González Henao S, Karanauskus V. Plausible Emergence and Self Assembly of a Primitive Phospholipid from Reduced Phosphorus on the Primordial Earth. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2021; 51:185-213. [PMID: 34279769 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-021-09613-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
How life arose on the primitive Earth is one of the biggest questions in science. Biomolecular emergence scenarios have proliferated in the literature but accounting for the ubiquity of oxidized (+ 5) phosphate (PO43-) in extant biochemistries has been challenging due to the dearth of phosphate and molecular oxygen on the primordial Earth. A compelling body of work suggests that exogenous schreibersite ((Fe,Ni)3P) was delivered to Earth via meteorite impacts during the Heavy Bombardment (ca. 4.1-3.8 Gya) and there converted to reduced P oxyanions (e.g., phosphite (HPO32-) and hypophosphite (H2PO2-)) and phosphonates. Inspired by this idea, we review the relevant literature to deduce a plausible reduced phospholipid analog of modern phosphatidylcholines that could have emerged in a primordial hydrothermal setting. A shallow alkaline lacustrine basin underlain by active hydrothermal fissures and meteoritic schreibersite-, clay-, and metal-enriched sediments is envisioned. The water column is laden with known and putative primordial hydrothermal reagents. Small system dimensions and thermal- and UV-driven evaporation further concentrate chemical precursors. We hypothesize that a reduced phospholipid arises from Fischer-Tropsch-type (FTT) production of a C8 alkanoic acid, which condenses with an organophosphinate (derived from schreibersite corrosion to hypophosphite with subsequent methylation/oxidation), to yield a reduced protophospholipid. This then condenses with an α-amino nitrile (derived from Strecker-type reactions) to form the polar head. Preliminary modeling results indicate that reduced phospholipids do not aggregate rapidly; however, single layer micelles are stable up to aggregates with approximately 100 molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael O Gaylor
- Department of Chemistry, Dakota State University, Madison, SD, 57042, USA.
| | - Pere Miro
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
| | - Bess Vlaisavljevich
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
| | | | - Laura M Barge
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | - Arthur Omran
- School of Geosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA.,Department of Chemistry, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Patrick Videau
- Department of Biology, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR, 97520, USA.,Bayer Crop Science, Chesterfield, MO, 63017, USA
| | - Vaille A Swenson
- Department of Chemistry, Dakota State University, Madison, SD, 57042, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Lucas J Leinen
- Department of Chemistry, Dakota State University, Madison, SD, 57042, USA
| | - Nathaniel W Fitch
- Department of Chemistry, Dakota State University, Madison, SD, 57042, USA
| | - Krista L Cole
- Department of Chemistry, Dakota State University, Madison, SD, 57042, USA
| | - Chris Stone
- Department of Biology, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR, 97520, USA
| | - Samuel M Drummond
- Department of Chemistry, Dakota State University, Madison, SD, 57042, USA
| | - Kayli Rageth
- Department of Chemistry, Dakota State University, Madison, SD, 57042, USA
| | - Lillian R Dewitt
- Department of Chemistry, Dakota State University, Madison, SD, 57042, USA
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