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Maldanis L, Fernandez-Remolar D, Lemelle L, Knoll AH, Guizar-Sicairos M, Holler M, da Silva FMC, Magnin V, Mermoux M, Simionovici A. Unveiling Challenging Microbial Fossil Biosignatures from Rio Tinto with Micro-to-Nanoscale Chemical and Ultrastructural Imaging. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:721-733. [PMID: 38985734 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the nature and preservation of microbial traces in extreme environments is crucial for reconstructing Earth's early biosphere and for the search for life on other planets or moons. At Rio Tinto, southwestern Spain, ferric oxide and sulfate deposits similar to those discovered at Meridiani Planum, Mars, entomb a diversity of fossilized organisms, despite chemical conditions commonly thought to be challenging for life and fossil preservation. Investigating this unique fossil microbiota can elucidate ancient extremophile communities and the preservation of biosignatures in acidic environments on Earth and, potentially, Mars. In this study, we use an innovative multiscale approach that combines the state-of-the-art synchrotron X-ray nanoimaging methods of ptychographic X-ray computed laminography and nano-X-ray fluorescence to reveal Rio Tinto's microfossils at subcellular resolution. The unprecedented nanoscale views of several different specimens within their geological and geochemical contexts reveal novel intricacies of preserved microbial communities. Different morphotypes, ecological interactions, and possible taxonomic affinities were inferred based on qualitative and quantitative 3D ultrastructural information, whereas diagenetic processes and metabolic affinities were inferred from complementary chemical information. Our integrated nano-to-microscale analytical approach revealed previously invisible microbial and mineral interactions, which complemented and filled a gap of spatial resolution in conventional methods. Ultimately, this study contributes to the challenge of deciphering the faint chemical and morphological biosignatures that can indicate life's presence on the early Earth and on distant worlds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Maldanis
- ISTerre, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, IFSTTAR, Grenoble, France
| | - David Fernandez-Remolar
- SKL Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
- CNSA Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Macau, China
| | | | - Andrew H Knoll
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge Massachusetts, USA
| | - Manuel Guizar-Sicairos
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- Institute of Physics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mirko Holler
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Francisco Mateus Cirilo da Silva
- Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory, LNLS, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials, CNPEM, Campinas, Brazil
- Institute of Physics, IFGW, Campinas University, UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Valérie Magnin
- ISTerre, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, IFSTTAR, Grenoble, France
| | - Michel Mermoux
- LEPMI, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble INP, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Alexandre Simionovici
- ISTerre, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, IRD, IFSTTAR, Grenoble, France
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2
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Clodoré L, Foucher F, Hickman-Lewis K, Sorieul S, Jouve J, Réfrégiers M, Collet G, Petoud S, Gratuze B, Westall F. Multi-Technique Characterization of 3.45 Ga Microfossils on Earth: A Key Approach to Detect Possible Traces of Life in Returned Samples from Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:190-226. [PMID: 38393828 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
The NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is actively exploring Jezero crater to conduct analyses on igneous and sedimentary rock targets from outcrops located on the crater floor (Máaz and Séítah formations) and from the delta deposits, respectively. The rock samples collected during this mission will be recovered during the Mars Sample Return mission, which plans to bring samples back to Earth in the 2030s to conduct in-depth studies using sophisticated laboratory instrumentation. Some of these samples may contain traces of ancient martian life that may be particularly difficult to detect and characterize because of their morphological simplicity and subtle biogeochemical expressions. Using the volcanic sediments of the 3.45 Ga Kitty's Gap Chert (Pilbara, Australia), containing putative early life forms (chemolithotrophs) and considered as astrobiological analogues for potential early Mars organisms, we document the steps required to demonstrate the syngenicity and biogenicity of such biosignatures using multiple complementary analytical techniques to provide information at different scales of observation. These include sedimentological, petrological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses to demonstrate macro- to microscale habitability. New approaches, some unavailable at the time of the original description of these features, are used to verify the syngenicity and biogenicity of the purported fossil chemolithotrophs. The combination of elemental (proton-induced X-ray emission spectrometry) and molecular (deep-ultraviolet and Fourier transform infrared) analyses of rock slabs, thin sections, and focused ion beam sections reveals that the carbonaceous matter present in the samples is enriched in trace metals (e.g., V, Cr, Fe, Co) and is associated with aromatic and aliphatic molecules, which strongly support its biological origin. Transmission electron microscopy observations of the carbonaceous matter documented an amorphous nanostructure interpreted to correspond to the degraded remains of microorganisms and their by-products (extracellular polymeric substances, filaments…). Nevertheless, a small fraction of carbonaceous particles has signatures that are more metamorphosed. They probably represent either reworked detrital biological or abiotic fragments of mantle origin. This study serves as an example of the analytical protocol that would be needed to optimize the detection of fossil traces of life in martian rocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Clodoré
- CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Orléans, France
| | - Frédéric Foucher
- CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Orléans, France
- CNRS-Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux: Haute Température et Irradiation, Orléans, France
| | - Keyron Hickman-Lewis
- Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Dipartimento BiGeA, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Jean Jouve
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, IN2P3, CENBG, Gradignan, France
| | | | - Guillaume Collet
- CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Orléans, France
- Chair of Cosmetology, AgroParisTech Innovation, Orléans, France
| | | | - Bernard Gratuze
- CNRS-Institut de Recherche sur les ArchéoMATériaux, Orléans, France
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3
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Runge EA, Mansor M, Kappler A, Duda JP. Microbial biosignatures in ancient deep-sea hydrothermal sulfides. GEOBIOLOGY 2023; 21:355-377. [PMID: 36524457 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Deep-sea hydrothermal systems provide ideal conditions for prebiotic reactions and ancient metabolic pathways and, therefore, might have played a pivotal role in the emergence of life. To understand this role better, it is paramount to examine fundamental interactions between hydrothermal processes, non-living matter, and microbial life in deep time. However, the distribution and diversity of microbial communities in ancient deep-sea hydrothermal systems are still poorly constrained, so evolutionary, and ecological relationships remain unclear. One important reason is an insufficient understanding of the formation of diagnostic microbial biosignatures in such settings and their preservation through geological time. This contribution centers around microbial biosignatures in Precambrian deep-sea hydrothermal sulfide deposits. Intending to provide a valuable resource for scientists from across the natural sciences whose research is concerned with the origins of life, we first introduce different types of biosignatures that can be preserved over geological timescales (rock fabrics and textures, microfossils, mineral precipitates, carbonaceous matter, trace metal, and isotope geochemical signatures). We then review selected reports of biosignatures from Precambrian deep-sea hydrothermal sulfide deposits and discuss their geobiological significance. Our survey highlights that Precambrian hydrothermal sulfide deposits potentially encode valuable information on environmental conditions, the presence and nature of microbial life, and the complex interactions between fluids, micro-organisms, and minerals. It further emphasizes that the geobiological interpretation of these records is challenging and requires the concerted application of analytical and experimental methods from various fields, including geology, mineralogy, geochemistry, and microbiology. Well-orchestrated multidisciplinary studies allow us to understand the formation and preservation of microbial biosignatures in deep-sea hydrothermal sulfide systems and thus help unravel the fundamental geobiology of ancient settings. This, in turn, is critical for reconstructing life's emergence and early evolution on Earth and the search for life elsewhere in the universe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Alexander Runge
- Sedimentology and Organic Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Muammar Mansor
- Geomicrobiology, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Kappler
- Geomicrobiology, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence EXC 2124, Controlling Microbes to Fight Infection, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jan-Peter Duda
- Sedimentology and Organic Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
- Geobiology, Geoscience Center, Göttingen University, Göttingen, Germany
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4
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Westall F, Brack A, Fairén AG, Schulte MD. Setting the geological scene for the origin of life and continuing open questions about its emergence. FRONTIERS IN ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCES 2023; 9:1095701. [PMID: 38274407 PMCID: PMC7615569 DOI: 10.3389/fspas.2022.1095701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The origin of life is one of the most fundamental questions of humanity. It has been and is still being addressed by a wide range of researchers from different fields, with different approaches and ideas as to how it came about. What is still incomplete is constrained information about the environment and the conditions reigning on the Hadean Earth, particularly on the inorganic ingredients available, and the stability and longevity of the various environments suggested as locations for the emergence of life, as well as on the kinetics and rates of the prebiotic steps leading to life. This contribution reviews our current understanding of the geological scene in which life originated on Earth, zooming in specifically on details regarding the environments and timescales available for prebiotic reactions, with the aim of providing experimenters with more specific constraints. Having set the scene, we evoke the still open questions about the origin of life: did life start organically or in mineralogical form? If organically, what was the origin of the organic constituents of life? What came first, metabolism or replication? What was the time-scale for the emergence of life? We conclude that the way forward for prebiotic chemistry is an approach merging geology and chemistry, i.e., far-from-equilibrium, wet-dry cycling (either subaerial exposure or dehydration through chelation to mineral surfaces) of organic reactions occurring repeatedly and iteratively at mineral surfaces under hydrothermal-like conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - André Brack
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Orléans, France
| | - Alberto G. Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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5
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Canizarès A, Foucher F, Baqué M, de Vera JP, Sauvage T, Wendling O, Bellamy A, Sigot P, Georgelin T, Simon P, Westall F. In Situ Raman Spectroscopy Monitoring of Material Changes During Proton Irradiation. APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY 2022; 76:723-729. [PMID: 35128962 DOI: 10.1177/00037028211062943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Organic molecules are prime targets in the search for life on other planetary bodies in the Solar System. Understanding their preservation potential and detectability after ionic irradiation, with fluences potentially representing those received for several millions to billions of years at Mars or in interplanetary space, is a crucial goal for astrobiology research. In order to be able to perform in situ characterization of such organic molecules under ionic irradiation in the near future, a feasibility experiment was performed with polymer test samples to validate the optical configuration and the irradiation chamber geometry. We present here a Raman in situ investigation of the evolution of a series of polymers during proton irradiation. To achieve this goal, a new type of Raman optical probe was designed, which documented that proton irradiation (with a final fluence of 3.1014 at·cm-2) leads to an increase in the background level of the signal, potentially explained by the scission of the polymeric chains and by atom displacements creating defects in the materials. To improve the setup further, a micro-Raman probe and a temperature-controlled sample holder are under development to provide higher spectral and spatial resolutions (by reducing the depth of field and laser spot size), to permit Raman mapping as well as to avoid any thermal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurelien Canizarès
- Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux: Haute Température et Irradiation (CEMHTI), UPR3079, 27051University of Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Frederic Foucher
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire (CBM), 27051Center National de la Recherche Scientifique, UPR 4301 Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - Mickael Baqué
- Department of Planetary Laboratories, Astrobiological Laboratories, Institute of Planetary Research, 14930German Aerospace Center (DLR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jean-Pierre de Vera
- Space Operations and Astronaut Training, MUSC, 14930German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - Thierry Sauvage
- Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux: Haute Température et Irradiation (CEMHTI), UPR3079, 27051University of Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Olivier Wendling
- Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux: Haute Température et Irradiation (CEMHTI), UPR3079, 27051University of Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Aurelien Bellamy
- Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux: Haute Température et Irradiation (CEMHTI), UPR3079, 27051University of Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Paul Sigot
- Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux: Haute Température et Irradiation (CEMHTI), UPR3079, 27051University of Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Thomas Georgelin
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire (CBM), 27051Center National de la Recherche Scientifique, UPR 4301 Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - Patrick Simon
- Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux: Haute Température et Irradiation (CEMHTI), UPR3079, 27051University of Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Frances Westall
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire (CBM), 27051Center National de la Recherche Scientifique, UPR 4301 Orléans Cedex 2, France
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6
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Banerjee S, Chanakira MN, Hall J, Kerkan A, Dasgupta S, Martin DW. A review on bacterial redox dependent iron transporters and their evolutionary relationship. J Inorg Biochem 2022; 229:111721. [PMID: 35033753 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2022.111721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Iron is an essential yet toxic micronutrient and its transport across biological membranes is tightly regulated in all living organisms. One such iron transporter, the Ftr-type permeases, is found in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. These Ftr-type transporters are required for iron transport, predicted to form α-helical transmembrane structures, and conserve two ArgGluxxGlu (x = any amino acid) motifs. In the yeast Ftr transporter (Ftr1p), a ferroxidase (Fet3p) is required for iron transport in an oxidation coupled transport step. None of the bacterial Ftr-type transporters (EfeU and FetM from E. coli; cFtr from Campylobacter jejuni; FtrC from Brucella, Bordetella, and Burkholderia spp.) contain a ferroxidase protein. Bioinformatics report predicted periplasmic EfeO and FtrB (from the EfeUOB and FtrABCD systems) as novel cupredoxins. The Cu2+ binding and the ferrous oxidation properties of these proteins are uncharacterized and the other two bacterial Ftr-systems are expressed without any ferroxidase/cupredoxin, leading to controversy about the mode of function of these transporters. Here, we review published data on Ftr-type transporters to gain insight into their functional diversity. Based on original bioinformatics data presented here evolutionary relations between these systems are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sambuddha Banerjee
- Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
| | - Mina N Chanakira
- Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Jonathan Hall
- Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Alexa Kerkan
- Department of Chemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Saumya Dasgupta
- Department of Chemistry, Amity Institute of Applied Sciences, Amity University Kolkata, WB 700135, India
| | - Daniel W Martin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
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7
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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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8
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Mangold N, Gupta S, Gasnault O, Dromart G, Tarnas JD, Sholes SF, Horgan B, Quantin-Nataf C, Brown AJ, Le Mouélic S, Yingst RA, Bell JF, Beyssac O, Bosak T, Calef F, Ehlmann BL, Farley KA, Grotzinger JP, Hickman-Lewis K, Holm-Alwmark S, Kah LC, Martinez-Frias J, McLennan SM, Maurice S, Nuñez JI, Ollila AM, Pilleri P, Rice JW, Rice M, Simon JI, Shuster DL, Stack KM, Sun VZ, Treiman AH, Weiss BP, Wiens RC, Williams AJ, Williams NR, Williford KH. Perseverance rover reveals an ancient delta-lake system and flood deposits at Jezero crater, Mars. Science 2021; 374:711-717. [PMID: 34618548 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl4051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- N Mangold
- Laboratoire Planétologie et Géodynamique, Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques, Université Nantes, Université Angers, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6112, 44322 Nantes, France
| | - S Gupta
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - O Gasnault
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques, Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - G Dromart
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon-Terre Planètes Environnement, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure Lyon, Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - J D Tarnas
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - S F Sholes
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - B Horgan
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - C Quantin-Nataf
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon-Terre Planètes Environnement, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure Lyon, Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - A J Brown
- Plancius Research, Severna Park, MD 21146, USA
| | - S Le Mouélic
- Laboratoire Planétologie et Géodynamique, Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques, Université Nantes, Université Angers, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6112, 44322 Nantes, France
| | - R A Yingst
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - J F Bell
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - O Beyssac
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7590, Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques, Sorbonne Université, Museum National d'Histoires Naturelles, 75005 Paris, France
| | - T Bosak
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - F Calef
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - B L Ehlmann
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - K A Farley
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - J P Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - K Hickman-Lewis
- Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD, UK.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - S Holm-Alwmark
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Geology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden.,Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - L C Kah
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - J Martinez-Frias
- Instituto de Geociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Complutense Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - S M McLennan
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - S Maurice
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques, Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - J I Nuñez
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - A M Ollila
- Space and Planetary Exploration Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
| | - P Pilleri
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques, Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - J W Rice
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - M Rice
- Geology Department, College of Science and Engineering, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
| | - J I Simon
- Center for Isotope Cosmochemistry and Geochronology, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - D L Shuster
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - K M Stack
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - V Z Sun
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - A H Treiman
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - B P Weiss
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.,Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - R C Wiens
- Space and Planetary Exploration Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
| | - A J Williams
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - N R Williams
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - K H Williford
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.,Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
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9
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Noffke N. Microbially Induced Sedimentary Structures in Clastic Deposits: Implication for the Prospection for Fossil Life on Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:866-892. [PMID: 34042490 PMCID: PMC8262410 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Abundant and well-preserved fossil microbenthos occurs in siliciclastic deposits of all Earth ages, from the early Archean to today. Studies in modern settings show how microbenthos responds to sediment dynamics by baffling and trapping, binding, biostabilization, and growth. Results of this microbial-sediment interaction are microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS). Successful prospection for rich MISS occurrences in the terrestrial lithological record requires unraveling genesis and taphonomy of MISS, both of which are defined only by a narrow range of specific conditions. These conditions have to coincide with high detectability which is a function of outcrop quality, bedding character, and rock type. Assertions on biogenicity of MISS morphologies must be based on the presence of microbially induced sedimentary textures (MIST), which are MISS-internal textures comprising replacement minerals arranged into microscopic biological morphologies, ancient carbonaceous matter, trace fossils, and geochemical signals. MISS serve as possible templates for the decryption of ancient life-processes on Mars. This article closes with a perspective on selected deposits and ancient environments in Meridiani Planum, Gale Crater, and Jezero Crater, Mars, regarding their potential for MISS occurrences. The earlier hypothesis of structures on Mars as potentially being MISS is revised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Noffke
- Old Dominion University, Department of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
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10
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Cavalazzi B, Lemelle L, Simionovici A, Cady SL, Russell MJ, Bailo E, Canteri R, Enrico E, Manceau A, Maris A, Salomé M, Thomassot E, Bouden N, Tucoulou R, Hofmann A. Cellular remains in a ~3.42-billion-year-old subseafloor hydrothermal environment. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabf3963. [PMID: 34261651 PMCID: PMC8279515 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf3963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Subsurface habitats on Earth host an extensive extant biosphere and likely provided one of Earth's earliest microbial habitats. Although the site of life's emergence continues to be debated, evidence of early life provides insights into its early evolution and metabolic affinity. Here, we present the discovery of exceptionally well-preserved, ~3.42-billion-year-old putative filamentous microfossils that inhabited a paleo-subseafloor hydrothermal vein system of the Barberton greenstone belt in South Africa. The filaments colonized the walls of conduits created by low-temperature hydrothermal fluid. Combined with their morphological and chemical characteristics as investigated over a range of scales, they can be considered the oldest methanogens and/or methanotrophs that thrived in an ultramafic volcanic substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Cavalazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
- Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Alexandre Simionovici
- ISTerre, University of Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Sherry L Cady
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, EMSL, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Michael J Russell
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | | | | | - Emanuele Enrico
- INRiM, Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, Torino, Italy
| | - Alain Manceau
- ISTerre, University of Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Assimo Maris
- Dipartimento di Chimica "Giacomo Ciamician," Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Rémi Tucoulou
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France
| | - Axel Hofmann
- Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
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11
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Clark BC, Kolb VM, Steele A, House CH, Lanza NL, Gasda PJ, VanBommel SJ, Newsom HE, Martínez-Frías J. Origin of Life on Mars: Suitability and Opportunities. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:539. [PMID: 34207658 PMCID: PMC8227854 DOI: 10.3390/life11060539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the habitability of early Mars is now well established, its suitability for conditions favorable to an independent origin of life (OoL) has been less certain. With continued exploration, evidence has mounted for a widespread diversity of physical and chemical conditions on Mars that mimic those variously hypothesized as settings in which life first arose on Earth. Mars has also provided water, energy sources, CHNOPS elements, critical catalytic transition metal elements, as well as B, Mg, Ca, Na and K, all of which are elements associated with life as we know it. With its highly favorable sulfur abundance and land/ocean ratio, early wet Mars remains a prime candidate for its own OoL, in many respects superior to Earth. The relatively well-preserved ancient surface of planet Mars helps inform the range of possible analogous conditions during the now-obliterated history of early Earth. Continued exploration of Mars also contributes to the understanding of the opportunities for settings enabling an OoL on exoplanets. Favoring geochemical sediment samples for eventual return to Earth will enhance assessments of the likelihood of a Martian OoL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vera M. Kolb
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Parkside, Kenosha, WI 53141, USA;
| | - Andrew Steele
- Earth and Planetary Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA;
| | - Christopher H. House
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16807, USA;
| | - Nina L. Lanza
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA; (N.L.L.); (P.J.G.)
| | - Patrick J. Gasda
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA; (N.L.L.); (P.J.G.)
| | - Scott J. VanBommel
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA;
| | - Horton E. Newsom
- Institute of Meteoritics, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 88033, USA;
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12
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Trace Element Concentrations Associated with Mid-Paleozoic Microfossils as Biosignatures to Aid in the Search for Life. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11020142. [PMID: 33668639 PMCID: PMC7918189 DOI: 10.3390/life11020142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying microbial fossils in the rock record is a difficult task because they are often simple in morphology and can be mimicked by non-biological structures. Biosignatures are essential for identifying putative fossils as being definitively biological in origin, but are often lacking due to geologic effects which can obscure or erase such signs. As such, there is a need for robust biosignature identification techniques. Here we show new evidence for the application of trace elements as biosignatures in microfossils. We found elevated concentrations of magnesium, aluminum, manganese, iron, and strontium colocalized with carbon and sulfur in microfossils from Drummond Basin, a mid-Paleozoic hot spring deposit in Australia. Our results also suggest that trace element sequestrations from modern hot spring deposits persist through substantial host rock alteration. Because some of the oldest fossils on Earth are found in hot spring deposits and ancient hot spring deposits are also thought to occur on Mars, this biosignature technique may be utilized as a valuable tool to aid in the search for extraterrestrial life.
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13
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Clark BC, Kolb VM. Macrobiont: Cradle for the Origin of Life and Creation of a Biosphere. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10110278. [PMID: 33198206 PMCID: PMC7697624 DOI: 10.3390/life10110278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the cellular microorganism is the fundamental unit of biology, the origin of life (OoL) itself is unlikely to have occurred in a microscale environment. The macrobiont (MB) is the macro-scale setting where life originated. Guided by the methodologies of Systems Analysis, we focus on subaerial ponds of scale 3 to 300 m diameter. Within such ponds, there can be substantial heterogeneity, on the vertical, horizontal, and temporal scales, which enable multi-pot prebiotic chemical evolution. Pond size-sensitivities for several figures of merit are mathematically formulated, leading to the expectation that the optimum pond size for the OoL is intermediate, but biased toward smaller sizes. Sensitivities include relative access to nutrients, energy sources, and catalysts, as sourced from geological, atmospheric, hydrospheric, and astronomical contributors. Foreshores, especially with mudcracks, are identified as a favorable component for the success of the macrobiont. To bridge the gap between inanimate matter and a planetary-scale biosphere, five stages of evolution within the macrobiont are hypothesized: prebiotic chemistry → molecular replicator → protocell → macrobiont cell → colonizer cell. Comparison of ponds with other macrobionts, including hydrothermal and meteorite settings, allows a conclusion that more than one possible macrobiont locale could enable an OoL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benton C. Clark
- Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Vera M. Kolb
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Parkside, Kenosha, WI 53141, USA;
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14
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Kacar B, Garcia AK, Anbar AD. Evolutionary History of Bioessential Elements Can Guide the Search for Life in the Universe. Chembiochem 2020; 22:114-119. [PMID: 33136319 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of life in the universe comes from one sample, life on Earth. Current and next-generation space missions will target exoplanets as well as planets and moons in our own solar system with the primary goal of detecting, interpreting and characterizing indications of possible biological activity. Thus, understanding life's fundamental characteristics is increasingly critical for detecting and interpreting potential biological signatures elsewhere in the universe. Astrobiologists have outlined the essential roles of carbon and water for life, but we have yet to decipher the rules governing the evolution of how living organisms use bioessential elements. Does the suite of life's essential chemical elements on Earth constitute only one possible evolutionary outcome? Are some elements so essential for biological functions that evolution will select for them despite low availability? How would this play out on other worlds that have different relative element abundances? When we look for life in the universe, or the conditions that could give rise to life, we must learn how to recognize it in extremely different chemical and environmental conditions from those on Earth. We argue that by exposing self-organizing biotic chemistries to different combinations of abiotic materials, and by mapping the evolutionary history of metalloenzyme biochemistry onto geological availabilities of metals, alternative element choices that are very different from life's present-day molecular structure might result. A greater understanding of the paleomolecular evolutionary history of life on Earth will create a predictive capacity for detecting and assessing life's existence on worlds where alternate evolutionary paths might have been taken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betul Kacar
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, 1007 E Lowell St, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.,Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA.,Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, 1629 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.,Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 1 Chome-31 Ishikawacho, Ota City, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Amanda K Garcia
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, 1007 E Lowell St, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Ariel D Anbar
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
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