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Prosdocimi F, de Farias ST. Major evolutionary transitions before cells: A journey from molecules to organisms. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 191:11-24. [PMID: 38971326 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2024.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Basing on logical assumptions and necessary steps of complexification along biological evolution, we propose here an evolutionary path from molecules to cells presenting four ages and three major transitions. At the first age, the basic biomolecules were formed and become abundant. The first transition happened with the event of a chemical symbiosis between nucleic acids and peptides worlds, which marked the emergence of both life and the process of organic encoding. FUCA, the first living process, was composed of self-replicating RNAs linked to amino acids and capable to catalyze their binding. The second transition, from the age of FUCA to the age of progenotes, involved the duplication and recombination of proto-genomes, leading to specialization in protein production and the exploration of protein to metabolite interactions in the prebiotic soup. Enzymes and metabolic pathways were incorporated into biology from protobiotic reactions that occurred without chemical catalysts, step by step. Then, the fourth age brought origin of organisms and lineages, occurring when specific proteins capable to stackle together facilitated the formation of peptidic capsids. LUCA was constituted as a progenote capable to operate the basic metabolic functions of a cell, but still unable to interact with lipid molecules. We present evidence that the evolution of lipid interaction pathways occurred at least twice, with the development of bacterial-like and archaeal-like membranes. Also, data in literature suggest at least two paths for the emergence of DNA biosynthesis, allowing the stabilization of early life strategies in viruses, archaeas and bacterias. Two billion years later, the eukaryotes arouse, and after 1,5 billion years of evolution, they finally learn how to evolve multicellularity via tissue specialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Prosdocimi
- Laboratório de Biologia Teórica e de Sistemas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Sávio Torres de Farias
- Laboratório de Genética Evolutiva Paulo Leminski, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil; Network of Researchers on the Chemical Evolution of Life (NoRCEL), Leeds, LS7 3RB, UK
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2
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Wei W, Chu F, Chen G, Zhou S, Sun C, Feng H, Pan Y. Prebiotic Formation of Peptides Through Bubbling and Arc Plasma. Chemistry 2024:e202401809. [PMID: 38802327 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202401809] [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: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The abiotic synthesis of peptides, widely regarded as one of the key chemical reactions on the prebiotic Earth, is thermodynamically constrained in solution. Herein, a simulation of the lightning phenomenon on the sea surface using bubble bursting and arc plasma under ambient conditions enables dipeptide formation of six amino acids with conversion ratios ranging from 2.6 % to 25.5 %. Additionally, we observed the formation of biologically active tripeptides and investigated the stereoselectivity of the dipeptide formation reaction. By utilizing a mixture of 20 amino acids in the reaction, 102 possible dipeptides were generated. These results establish experimental constructions to mimic achievable prebiotic conditions and provide a credible pathway for endogenous biopolymer synthesis on prebiotic Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Fengjian Chu
- College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Guanru Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Shiwen Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Cuirong Sun
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Hongru Feng
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Yuanjiang Pan
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
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3
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Todd ZR, Lozano GG, Kufner CL, Ranjan S, Catling DC, Sasselov DD. UV Transmission in Prebiotic Environments on Early Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:559-569. [PMID: 38768432 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0077] [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: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Ultraviolet (UV) light is likely to have played important roles in surficial origins of life scenarios, potentially as a productive source of energy and molecular activation, as a selective means to remove unwanted side products, or as a destructive mechanism resulting in loss of molecules/biomolecules over time. The transmission of UV light through prebiotic waters depends upon the chemical constituents of such waters, but constraints on this transmission are limited. Here, we experimentally measure the molar decadic extinction coefficients for a number of small molecules used in various prebiotic synthetic schemes. We find that many small feedstock molecules absorb most at short (∼200 nm) wavelengths, with decreasing UV absorption at longer wavelengths. For comparison, we also measured the nucleobase adenine and found that adenine absorbs significantly more than the simpler molecules often invoked in prebiotic synthesis. Our results enable the calculation of UV photon penetration under varying chemical scenarios and allow further constraints on plausibility and self-consistency of such scenarios. While the precise path that prebiotic chemistry took remains elusive, improved understanding of the UV environment in prebiotically plausible waters can help constrain both the chemistry and the environmental conditions that may allow such chemistry to occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe R Todd
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Gabriella G Lozano
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Corinna L Kufner
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sukrit Ranjan
- Lunar & Planetary Laboratory/Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - David C Catling
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Dimitar D Sasselov
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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4
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Rodriguez LE, Altair T, Hermis NY, Jia TZ, Roche TP, Steller LH, Weber JM. Chapter 4: A Geological and Chemical Context for the Origins of Life on Early Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S76-S106. [PMID: 38498817 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Within the first billion years of Earth's history, the planet transformed from a hot, barren, and inhospitable landscape to an environment conducive to the emergence and persistence of life. This chapter will review the state of knowledge concerning early Earth's (Hadean/Eoarchean) geochemical environment, including the origin and composition of the planet's moon, crust, oceans, atmosphere, and organic content. It will also discuss abiotic geochemical cycling of the CHONPS elements and how these species could have been converted to biologically relevant building blocks, polymers, and chemical networks. Proposed environments for abiogenesis events are also described and evaluated. An understanding of the geochemical processes under which life may have emerged can better inform our assessment of the habitability of other worlds, the potential complexity that abiotic chemistry can achieve (which has implications for putative biosignatures), and the possibility for biochemistries that are vastly different from those on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Rodriguez
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA. (Current)
| | - Thiago Altair
- Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Chemistry, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA. (Current)
| | - Ninos Y Hermis
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Physics and Space Sciences, University of Granada, Granada Spain. (Current)
| | - Tony Z Jia
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tyler P Roche
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Luke H Steller
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Jessica M Weber
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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5
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Schaible MJ, Szeinbaum N, Bozdag GO, Chou L, Grefenstette N, Colón-Santos S, Rodriguez LE, Styczinski MJ, Thweatt JL, Todd ZR, Vázquez-Salazar A, Adams A, Araújo MN, Altair T, Borges S, Burton D, Campillo-Balderas JA, Cangi EM, Caro T, Catalano E, Chen K, Conlin PL, Cooper ZS, Fisher TM, Fos SM, Garcia A, Glaser DM, Harman CE, Hermis NY, Hooks M, Johnson-Finn K, Lehmer O, Hernández-Morales R, Hughson KHG, Jácome R, Jia TZ, Marlow JJ, McKaig J, Mierzejewski V, Muñoz-Velasco I, Nural C, Oliver GC, Penev PI, Raj CG, Roche TP, Sabuda MC, Schaible GA, Sevgen S, Sinhadc P, Steller LH, Stelmach K, Tarnas J, Tavares F, Trubl G, Vidaurri M, Vincent L, Weber JM, Weng MM, Wilpiszeki RL, Young A. Chapter 1: The Astrobiology Primer 3.0. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S4-S39. [PMID: 38498816 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The Astrobiology Primer 3.0 (ABP3.0) is a concise introduction to the field of astrobiology for students and others who are new to the field of astrobiology. It provides an entry into the broader materials in this supplementary issue of Astrobiology and an overview of the investigations and driving hypotheses that make up this interdisciplinary field. The content of this chapter was adapted from the other 10 articles in this supplementary issue and thus represents the contribution of all the authors who worked on these introductory articles. The content of this chapter is not exhaustive and represents the topics that the authors found to be the most important and compelling in a dynamic and changing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah J Schaible
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nadia Szeinbaum
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - G Ozan Bozdag
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Luoth Chou
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA
| | - Natalie Grefenstette
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Stephanie Colón-Santos
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Laura E Rodriguez
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - M J Styczinski
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jennifer L Thweatt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zoe R Todd
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Alberto Vázquez-Salazar
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alyssa Adams
- Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - M N Araújo
- Biochemistry Department, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Thiago Altair
- Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Chemistry, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
| | | | - Dana Burton
- Department of Anthropology, George Washington University, Washington DC, USA
| | | | - Eryn M Cangi
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Tristan Caro
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Enrico Catalano
- Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, The BioRobotics Institute, Pisa, Italy
| | - Kimberly Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Peter L Conlin
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Z S Cooper
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Theresa M Fisher
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Santiago Mestre Fos
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amanda Garcia
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - D M Glaser
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Chester E Harman
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ninos Y Hermis
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Physics and Space Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - M Hooks
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - K Johnson-Finn
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Owen Lehmer
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ricardo Hernández-Morales
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Kynan H G Hughson
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rodrigo Jácome
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Tony Z Jia
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jeffrey J Marlow
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jordan McKaig
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Veronica Mierzejewski
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Israel Muñoz-Velasco
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ceren Nural
- Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gina C Oliver
- Department of Geology, San Bernardino Valley College, San Bernardino, California, USA
| | - Petar I Penev
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Chinmayee Govinda Raj
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Tyler P Roche
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Mary C Sabuda
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - George A Schaible
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Serhat Sevgen
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Pritvik Sinhadc
- BEYOND: Center For Fundamental Concepts in Science, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
- Dubai College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Luke H Steller
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Kamil Stelmach
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - J Tarnas
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Frank Tavares
- Space Enabled Research Group, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gareth Trubl
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
| | - Monica Vidaurri
- Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Howard University, Washington DC, USA
| | - Lena Vincent
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jessica M Weber
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | | | - Amber Young
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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6
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Vollmer C, Kepaptsoglou D, Leitner J, Mosberg AB, El Hajraoui K, King AJ, Bays CL, Schofield PF, Araki T, Ramasse QM. High-spatial resolution functional chemistry of nitrogen compounds in the observed UK meteorite fall Winchcombe. Nat Commun 2024; 15:778. [PMID: 38278803 PMCID: PMC10817942 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45064-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Organic matter in extraterrestrial samples is a complex material that might have played an important role in the delivery of prebiotic molecules to the early Earth. We report here on the identification of nitrogen-containing compounds such as amino acids and N-heterocycles within the recent observed meteorite fall Winchcombe by high-spatial resolution spectroscopy techniques. Although nitrogen contents of Winchcombe organic matter are low (N/C ~ 1-3%), we were able to detect the presence of these compounds using a low-noise direct electron detector. These biologically relevant molecules have therefore been tentatively found within a fresh, minimally processed meteorite sample by high spatial resolution techniques conserving the overall petrographic context. Carbon functional chemistry investigations show that sizes of aromatic domains are small and that abundances of carboxylic functional groups are low. Our observations demonstrate that Winchcombe represents an important addition to the collection of carbonaceous chondrites and still preserves pristine extraterrestrial organic matter.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Demie Kepaptsoglou
- SuperSTEM Laboratory, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, UK
- School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, Heslington, UK
| | - Jan Leitner
- Institut für Geowissenschaften, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Particle Chemistry Department, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Khalil El Hajraoui
- SuperSTEM Laboratory, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, UK
- School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, Heslington, UK
| | - Ashley J King
- Planetary Materials Group, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Charlotte L Bays
- Planetary Materials Group, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK
| | | | - Tohru Araki
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Institute for Molecular Science, UVSOR Synchrotron Facility, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Quentin M Ramasse
- SuperSTEM Laboratory, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, UK
- School of Chemical and Process Engineering and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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7
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Brown SM, Mayer-Bacon C, Freeland S. Xeno Amino Acids: A Look into Biochemistry as We Do Not Know It. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2281. [PMID: 38137883 PMCID: PMC10744825 DOI: 10.3390/life13122281] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Would another origin of life resemble Earth's biochemical use of amino acids? Here, we review current knowledge at three levels: (1) Could other classes of chemical structure serve as building blocks for biopolymer structure and catalysis? Amino acids now seem both readily available to, and a plausible chemical attractor for, life as we do not know it. Amino acids thus remain important and tractable targets for astrobiological research. (2) If amino acids are used, would we expect the same L-alpha-structural subclass used by life? Despite numerous ideas, it is not clear why life favors L-enantiomers. It seems clearer, however, why life on Earth uses the shortest possible (alpha-) amino acid backbone, and why each carries only one side chain. However, assertions that other backbones are physicochemically impossible have relaxed into arguments that they are disadvantageous. (3) Would we expect a similar set of side chains to those within the genetic code? Many plausible alternatives exist. Furthermore, evidence exists for both evolutionary advantage and physicochemical constraint as explanatory factors for those encoded by life. Overall, as focus shifts from amino acids as a chemical class to specific side chains used by post-LUCA biology, the probable role of physicochemical constraint diminishes relative to that of biological evolution. Exciting opportunities now present themselves for laboratory work and computing to explore how changing the amino acid alphabet alters the universe of protein folds. Near-term milestones include: (a) expanding evidence about amino acids as attractors within chemical evolution; (b) extending characterization of other backbones relative to biological proteins; and (c) merging computing and laboratory explorations of structures and functions unlocked by xeno peptides.
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8
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Rosa CA, Bergantini A, Herczku P, Mifsud DV, Lakatos G, Kovács STS, Sulik B, Juhász Z, Ioppolo S, Quitián-Lara HM, Mason NJ, Lage C. Infrared Spectral Signatures of Nucleobases in Interstellar Ices I: Purines. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2208. [PMID: 38004348 PMCID: PMC10672069 DOI: 10.3390/life13112208] [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: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The purine nucleobases adenine and guanine are complex organic molecules that are essential for life. Despite their ubiquitous presence on Earth, purines have yet to be detected in observations of astronomical environments. This work therefore proposes to study the infrared spectra of purines linked to terrestrial biochemical processes under conditions analogous to those found in the interstellar medium. The infrared spectra of adenine and guanine, both in neat form and embedded within an ice made of H2O:NH3:CH4:CO:CH3OH (10:1:1:1:1), were analysed with the aim of determining which bands attributable to adenine and/or guanine can be observed in the infrared spectrum of an astrophysical ice analogue rich in other volatile species known to be abundant in dense molecular clouds. The spectrum of adenine and guanine mixed together was also analysed. This study has identified three purine nucleobase infrared absorption bands that do not overlap with bands attributable to the volatiles that are ubiquitous in the dense interstellar medium. Therefore, these three bands, which are located at 1255, 940, and 878 cm-1, are proposed as an infrared spectral signature for adenine, guanine, or a mixture of these molecules in astrophysical ices. All three bands have integrated molar absorptivity values (ψ) greater than 4 km mol-1, meaning that they should be readily observable in astronomical targets. Therefore, if these three bands were to be observed together in the same target, then it is possible to propose the presence of a purine molecule (i.e., adenine or guanine) there.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Antunes Rosa
- Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-170, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Bergantini
- Celso Suckow da Fonseca Federal Centre for Technological Education, Rio de Janeiro 20271-110, Brazil
| | - Péter Herczku
- HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Duncan V. Mifsud
- HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gergő Lakatos
- HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | - Béla Sulik
- HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Juhász
- HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Sergio Ioppolo
- Centre for Interstellar Catalysis (InterCat), Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Heidy M. Quitián-Lara
- Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NH, UK
| | - Nigel J. Mason
- HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
- Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NH, UK
| | - Claudia Lage
- Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-170, Brazil
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9
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Liao Q, Xie P, Wang Z. Enantiodetermining processes in the synthesis of alanine, serine, and isovaline. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:28829-28834. [PMID: 37853775 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03212d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
In this study, quantum chemical calculations were used to explore the synthesis of three chiral α-amino acids, specifically alanine, serine, and isovaline, from reactants found in interstellar space. Our focus is on the crucial step in the synthesis pathway that determines the chirality of the amino acids. The results indicate that in the case of alanine, the determination of enantiomer is primarily influenced by the direction of the collision of molecules or functional groups, which leads to the formation of a chirality center in a crucial intermediate. However, contrary to chemical expectations, the enantiodetermining/enantioselection step for serine and isovaline synthesis occurs prior to the creation of a chirality center.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingli Liao
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Peng Xie
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Zhao Wang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
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10
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Welsch F, Kervio E, Tremmel P, Richert C. Prolinyl Nucleotides Drive Enzyme-Free Genetic Copying of RNA. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202307591. [PMID: 37382466 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202307591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Proline is one of the proteinogenic amino acids. It is found in all kingdoms of life. It also has remarkable activity as an organocatalyst and is of structural importance in many folded polypeptides. Here, we show that prolinyl nucleotides with a phosphoramidate linkage are active building blocks in enzyme- and ribozyme-free copying of RNA in the presence of monosubstituted imidazoles as organocatalysts. Both dinucleotides and mononucleotides are incorporated at the terminus of RNA primers in aqueous buffer, as instructed by the template sequence, in up to eight consecutive extension steps. Our results show that condensation products of amino acids and ribonucleotides can act like nucleoside triphosphates in media devoid of enzymes or ribozymes. Prolinyl nucleotides are metastable building blocks, readily activated by catalysts, helping to explain why the combination of α-amino acids and nucleic acids was selected in molecular evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Welsch
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Eric Kervio
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Peter Tremmel
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Clemens Richert
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
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11
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Fox AC, Boettger JD, Berger EL, Burton AS. The Role of the CuCl Active Complex in the Stereoselectivity of the Salt-Induced Peptide Formation Reaction: Insights from Density Functional Theory Calculations. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1796. [PMID: 37763200 PMCID: PMC10532638 DOI: 10.3390/life13091796] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The salt-induced peptide formation (SIPF) reaction is a prebiotically plausible mechanism for the spontaneous polymerization of amino acids into peptides on early Earth. Experimental investigations of the SIPF reaction have found that in certain conditions, the l enantiomer is more reactive than the d enantiomer, indicating its potential role in the rise of biohomochirality. Previous work hypothesized that the distortion of the CuCl active complex toward a tetrahedral-like structure increases the central chirality on the Cu ion, which amplifies the inherent parity-violating energy differences between l- and d-amino acid enantiomers, leading to stereoselectivity. Computational evaluations of this theory have been limited to the protonated-neutral l + l forms of the CuCl active complex. Here, density functional theory methods were used to compare the energies and geometries of the homochiral (l + l and d + d) and heterochiral (l + d) CuCl-amino acid complexes for both the positive-neutral and neutral-neutral forms for alanine, valine, and proline. Significant energy differences were not observed between different chiral active complexes (i.e., d + d, l + l vs. l + d), and the distortions of active complexes between stereoselective systems and non-selective systems were not consistent, indicating that the geometry of the active complex is not the primary driver of the observed stereoselectivity of the SIPF reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison C. Fox
- NASA Postdoctoral Program, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - Jason D. Boettger
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA;
| | - Eve L. Berger
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - Aaron S. Burton
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
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12
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Qu WJ, Liu T, Chai Y, Ji D, Che YX, Hu JP, Yao H, Lin Q, Wei TB, Shi B. Efficient detection of L-aspartic acid and L-glutamic acid by self-assembled fluorescent microparticles with AIE and FRET activities. Org Biomol Chem 2023; 21:4022-4027. [PMID: 37128802 DOI: 10.1039/d2ob02297d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Amino acids play an important role in the formation of proteins, enzymes, hormones and peptides in animals. Moreover, aspartic acid and glutamic acid have a critical impact on the central nervous system as excitatory neurotransmitters. Here, we report the highly selective detection of L-glutamic acid (L-Glu) and L-aspartic acid (L-Asp) using fluorescent microparticles constructed by the combination of aggregation-induced emission and self-assembly-induced Förster resonance energy transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Juan Qu
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China.
| | - Tingting Liu
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China.
| | - Yongping Chai
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China.
| | - Dongyan Ji
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China.
| | - Yu-Xin Che
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China.
| | - Jian-Peng Hu
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China.
| | - Hong Yao
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China.
| | - Qi Lin
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China.
| | - Tai-Bao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China.
| | - Bingbing Shi
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials of Gansu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, P. R. China.
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13
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Furukawa Y, Saigusa D, Kano K, Uruno A, Saito R, Ito M, Matsumoto M, Aoki J, Yamamoto M, Nakamura T. Distributions of CHN compounds in meteorites record organic syntheses in the early solar system. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6683. [PMID: 37095091 PMCID: PMC10125961 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33595-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbonaceous meteorites contain diverse soluble organic compounds. These compounds formed in the early solar system from volatiles accreted on tiny dust particles. However, the difference in the organic synthesis on respective dust particles in the early solar system remains unclear. We found micrometer-scale heterogeneous distributions of diverse CHN1-2 and CHN1-2O compounds in two primitive meteorites: the Murchison and NWA 801, using a surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization system connected to a high mass resolution mass spectrometer. These compounds contained mutual relationships of ± H2, ± CH2, ± H2O, and ± CH2O and showed highly similar distributions, indicating that they are the products of series reactions. The heterogeneity was caused by the micro-scale difference in the abundance of these compounds and the extent of the series reactions, indicating that these compounds formed on respective dust particles before asteroid accretion. The results of the present study provide evidence of heterogeneous volatile compositions and the extent of organic reactions among the dust particles that formed carbonaceous asteroids. The compositions of diverse small organic compounds associated with respective dust particles in meteorites are useful to understand different histories of volatile evolution in the early solar system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daisuke Saigusa
- Laboratory of Biomedical and Analytical Sciences, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kuniyuki Kano
- Department of Health Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Uruno
- Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ritsumi Saito
- Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Motoo Ito
- Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research, X-star, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Nankoku, Japan
| | | | - Junken Aoki
- Department of Health Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masayuki Yamamoto
- Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tomoki Nakamura
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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14
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Prosdocimi F, de Farias ST. Origin of life: Drawing the big picture. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 180-181:28-36. [PMID: 37080436 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2023.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Trying to provide a broad overview about the origin of life in Earth, the most significant transitions of life before cells are listed and discussed. The current approach emphasizes the symbiotic relationships that emerged with life. We propose a rational, stepwise scenario for the origin of life that starts with the origin of the first biomolecules and steps forward until the origins of the first cells. Along this path, we aim to provide a brief, though comprehensive theoretical model that will consider the following steps: (i) how nucleotides and other biomolecules could be made prebiotically in specific prebiotic refuges; (ii) how the first molecules of RNAs were formed; (iii) how the proto-peptidyl transferase center was built by the concatenation of proto-tRNAs; (iv) how the ribosome and the genetic code could be structured; (v) how progenotes could live and reproduce as "naked" ribonucleoprotein molecules; (vi) how peptides started to bind molecules in the prebiotic soup allowing biochemical pathways to evolve from those bindings; (vii) how genomes got bigger by the symbiotic relationship of progenotes and lateral transference of genetic material; (viii) how the progenote LUCA has been formed by assembling most biochemical routes; (ix) how the first virion capsids probably emerged and evolved; (x) how phospholipid membranes emerged probably twice by the evolution of lipid-binding proteins; (xi) how DNA synthesis have been formed in parallel in Bacteria and Archaea; and, finally, (xii) how DNA-based cells of Bacteria and Archaeabacteria have been constituted. The picture provided is conjectural and present epistemological gaps. Future research will help to advance into the elucidation of gaps and confirmation/refutation of current statements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Prosdocimi
- Laboratório de Biologia Teórica e de Sistemas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Sávio Torres de Farias
- Laboratório de Genética Evolutiva Paulo Leminski, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil; Network of Researchers on the Chemical Evolution of Life (NoRCEL), Leeds, LS7 3RB, UK
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15
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Potiszil C, Ota T, Yamanaka M, Sakaguchi C, Kobayashi K, Tanaka R, Kunihiro T, Kitagawa H, Abe M, Miyazaki A, Nakato A, Nakazawa S, Nishimura M, Okada T, Saiki T, Tanaka S, Terui F, Tsuda Y, Usui T, Watanabe SI, Yada T, Yogata K, Yoshikawa M, Nakamura E. Insights into the formation and evolution of extraterrestrial amino acids from the asteroid Ryugu. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1482. [PMID: 36932072 PMCID: PMC10023693 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37107-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
All life on Earth contains amino acids and carbonaceous chondrite meteorites have been suggested as their source at the origin of life on Earth. While many meteoritic amino acids are considered indigenous, deciphering the extent of terrestrial contamination remains an issue. The Ryugu asteroid fragments (JAXA Hayabusa2 mission), represent the most uncontaminated primitive extraterrestrial material available. Here, the concentrations of amino acids from two particles from different touchdown sites (TD1 and TD2) are reported. The concentrations show that N,N-dimethylglycine (DMG) is the most abundant amino acid in the TD1 particle, but below detection limit in the other. The TD1 particle mineral components indicate it experienced more aqueous alteration. Furthermore, the relationships between the amino acids and the geochemistry suggest that DMG formed on the Ryugu progenitor body during aqueous alteration. The findings highlight the importance of aqueous chemistry for defining the ultimate concentrations of amino acids in primitive extraterrestrial samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Potiszil
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Yamada 827, Misasa, Tottori, 682-0193, Japan.
| | - Tsutomu Ota
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Yamada 827, Misasa, Tottori, 682-0193, Japan
| | - Masahiro Yamanaka
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Yamada 827, Misasa, Tottori, 682-0193, Japan
| | - Chie Sakaguchi
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Yamada 827, Misasa, Tottori, 682-0193, Japan
| | - Katsura Kobayashi
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Yamada 827, Misasa, Tottori, 682-0193, Japan
| | - Ryoji Tanaka
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Yamada 827, Misasa, Tottori, 682-0193, Japan
| | - Tak Kunihiro
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Yamada 827, Misasa, Tottori, 682-0193, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kitagawa
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Yamada 827, Misasa, Tottori, 682-0193, Japan
| | - Masanao Abe
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Japan
| | - Akiko Miyazaki
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Aiko Nakato
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Satoru Nakazawa
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nishimura
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Tatsuaki Okada
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
- University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takanao Saiki
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tanaka
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Japan
- University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Fuyuto Terui
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
- Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Atsugi, Japan
| | - Yuichi Tsuda
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Usui
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | | | - Toru Yada
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Kasumi Yogata
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Makoto Yoshikawa
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Japan
| | - Eizo Nakamura
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Yamada 827, Misasa, Tottori, 682-0193, Japan
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16
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Paczelt V, Wende RC, Schreiner PR, Eckhardt AK. Glycine Imine-The Elusive α-Imino Acid Intermediate in the Reductive Amination of Glyoxylic Acid. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202218548. [PMID: 36656102 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202218548] [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: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Simple unhindered aldimines tend to hydrolyze or oligomerize and are therefore spectroscopically not well characterized. Herein we report the formation and spectroscopic characterization of the simplest imino acid, namely glycine imine, by cryogenic matrix isolation IR and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Glycine imine forms after UV irradiation of 2-azidoacetic acid by N2 extrusion in anti-(E,E)- and anti-(Z,Z)-conformation that can be photochemically interconverted. In matrix isolation pyrolysis experiments with 2-azidoacetic acid, glycine imine cannot be trapped as it further decarboxylates to aminomethylene. In aqueous solution glycine imine is hydrolyzed to hydroxy glycine and hydrated glyoxylic acid. At higher concentrations or in the presence of FeII SO4 as a reducing agent glycine imine undergoes self-reduction by oxidative decarboxylation chemistry. Glycine imine may be seen as one of the key reaction intermediates connecting prebiotic amino acid and sugar formation chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Paczelt
- Lehrstuhl für Organische Chemie II, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Raffael C Wende
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Peter R Schreiner
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - André K Eckhardt
- Lehrstuhl für Organische Chemie II, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany
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17
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Diederich P, Geisberger T, Yan Y, Seitz C, Ruf A, Huber C, Hertkorn N, Schmitt-Kopplin P. Formation, stabilization and fate of acetaldehyde and higher aldehydes in an autonomously changing prebiotic system emerging from acetylene. Commun Chem 2023; 6:38. [PMID: 36813975 PMCID: PMC9947100 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-00833-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Many essential building blocks of life, including amino acids, sugars, and nucleosides, require aldehydes for prebiotic synthesis. Pathways for their formation under early earth conditions are therefore of great importance. We investigated the formation of aldehydes by an experimental simulation of primordial early earth conditions, in line with the metal-sulfur world theory in an acetylene-containing atmosphere. We describe a pH-driven, intrinsically autoregulatory environment that concentrates acetaldehyde and other higher molecular weight aldehydes. We demonstrate that acetaldehyde is rapidly formed from acetylene over a nickel sulfide catalyst in an aqueous solution, followed by sequential reactions progressively increasing the molecular diversity and complexity of the reaction mixture. Interestingly, through inherent pH changes, the evolution of this complex matrix leads to auto-stabilization of de novo synthesized aldehydes and alters the subsequent synthesis of relevant biomolecules rather than yielding uncontrolled polymerization products. Our results emphasize the impact of progressively generated compounds on the overall reaction conditions and strengthen the role of acetylene in forming essential building blocks that are fundamental for the emergence of terrestrial life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Diederich
- Helmholtz Munich, Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Geisberger
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Technical University of Munich Structural Membrane Biochemistry, BNMRZ, Lichtenbergstr 4, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Yingfei Yan
- Helmholtz Munich, Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Christian Seitz
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Technical University of Munich Structural Membrane Biochemistry, BNMRZ, Lichtenbergstr 4, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Alexander Ruf
- grid.510544.1Excellence Cluster ORIGINS, Boltzmannstraße 2, 85748 Garching, Germany ,grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XFaculty of Physics, LMU Munich, Schellingstraße 4, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Huber
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Technical University of Munich Structural Membrane Biochemistry, BNMRZ, Lichtenbergstr 4, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Norbert Hertkorn
- Helmholtz Munich, Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin
- Helmholtz Munich, Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg, Germany. .,Technical University of Munich, Analytische Lebensmittel Chemie; Maximus-von-Forum 2, 85354, Freising, Germany. .,Center for Astrochemical Studies, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Gießebachstraße 1, 85748, Garching bei München, Germany.
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18
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Razzell Hollis J, Sharma S, Abbey W, Bhartia R, Beegle L, Fries M, Hein JD, Monacelli B, Nordman AD. A Deep Ultraviolet Raman and Fluorescence Spectral Library of 51 Organic Compounds for the SHERLOC Instrument Onboard Mars 2020. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:1-23. [PMID: 36367974 PMCID: PMC9810352 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We report deep ultraviolet (DUV) Raman and Fluorescence spectra obtained on a SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) analog instrument for 51 pure organic compounds, including 5 carboxylic acids, 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 24 amino acids, 6 nucleobases, and 6 different grades of macromolecular carbon from humic acid to graphite. Organic mixtures were not investigated. We discuss how the DUV fluorescence and Raman spectra exhibited by different organic compounds allow for detection, classification, and identification of organics by SHERLOC. We find that 1- and 2-ring aromatic compounds produce detectable fluorescence within SHERLOC's spectral range (250-355 nm), but fluorescence spectra are not unique enough to enable easy identification of particular compounds. However, both aromatic and aliphatic compounds can be identified by their Raman spectra, with the number of Raman peaks and their positions being highly specific to chemical structure, within SHERLOC's reported spectral uncertainty of ±5 cm-1. For compounds that are not in the Library, classification is possible by comparing the general number and position of dominant Raman peaks with trends for different kinds of organic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Razzell Hollis
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sunanda Sharma
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - William Abbey
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | - Luther Beegle
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Marc Fries
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Hein
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Brian Monacelli
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Austin D. Nordman
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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19
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Sinha Roy A, Srivastava M. Analysis of Small-Molecule Mixtures by Super-Resolved 1H NMR Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:9108-9113. [PMID: 36413171 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c06858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Analysis of small molecules is essential to metabolomics, natural products, drug discovery, food technology, and many other areas of interest. Current barriers preclude from identifying the constituent molecules in a mixture as overlapping clusters of NMR lines pose a major challenge in resolving signature frequencies for individual molecules. While homonuclear decoupling techniques produce much simplified pure shift spectra, they often affect sensitivity. Conversion of typical NMR spectra to pure shift spectra by signal processing without a priori knowledge about the coupling patterns is essential for accurate analysis. We developed a super-resolved wavelet packet transform based 1H NMR spectroscopy that can be used in high-throughput studies to reliably decouple individual constituents of small molecule mixtures. We demonstrate the efficacy of the method on the model mixtures of saccharides and amino acids in the presence of significant noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aritro Sinha Roy
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-0001,United States
| | - Madhur Srivastava
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-0001,United States.,National Biomedical Resources for Advanced ESR Technologies (ACERT), Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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20
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Zhong S, Guan J, Chen C, Tan F, Luo P. Multiomics analysis elucidated molecular mechanism of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in Akebia trifoliata fruit. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1039550. [PMID: 36426151 PMCID: PMC9680012 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1039550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Akebia trifoliata is a novel edible and healthy fruit. Here, we found that this fruit had the highest content of total free amino acids and three aromatic amino acids (AAAs) compared with the other popular fruits, and there was an obvious inverse relationship between AAA and flavonoid levels in various fruit tissues. Multiomics analysis revealed that the evolutionarily strengthened synthetic pathway of all three AAAs, the largely regulating ability conferred by ASP5 in the arogenate pathway and the complementary phenylpyruvate pathway endorsed by ADT of both Phe and Tyr biosynthesis provided reasonable explanations for the high AAA content in the flesh of A. trifoliata fruit. Gene-specific expression could be the main reason for the inverse relationship between AAAs and flavonoids. This study will help us understand the metabolic mechanism of AAAs and to develop A. trifoliata as a fresh fruit crop and medicinal plant by molecular breeding strategies.
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21
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Aqueous microdroplets enable abiotic synthesis and chain extension of unique peptide isomers from free amino acids. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2212642119. [PMID: 36191178 PMCID: PMC9586328 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2212642119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amide bond formation, the essential condensation reaction underlying peptide synthesis, is hindered in aqueous systems by the thermodynamic constraints associated with dehydration. This represents a key difficulty for the widely held view that prebiotic chemical evolution leading to the formation of the first biomolecules occurred in an oceanic environment. Recent evidence for the acceleration of chemical reactions at droplet interfaces led us to explore aqueous amino acid droplet chemistry. We report the formation of dipeptide isomer ions from free glycine or L-alanine at the air-water interface of aqueous microdroplets emanating from a single spray source (with or without applied potential) during their flight toward the inlet of a mass spectrometer. The proposed isomeric dipeptide ion is an oxazolidinone that takes fully covalent and ion-neutral complex forms. This structure is consistent with observed fragmentation patterns and its conversion to authentic dipeptide ions upon gentle collisions and for its formation from authentic dipeptides at ultra-low concentrations. It also rationalizes the results of droplet fusion experiments that show that the dipeptide isomer facilitates additional amide bond formation events, yielding authentic tri- through hexapeptides. We propose that the interface of aqueous microdroplets serves as a drying surface that shifts the equilibrium between free amino acids in favor of dehydration via stabilization of the dipeptide isomers. These findings offer a possible solution to the water paradox of biopolymer synthesis in prebiotic chemistry.
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22
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Baqué M, Backhaus T, Meeßen J, Hanke F, Böttger U, Ramkissoon N, Olsson-Francis K, Baumgärtner M, Billi D, Cassaro A, de la Torre Noetzel R, Demets R, Edwards H, Ehrenfreund P, Elsaesser A, Foing B, Foucher F, Huwe B, Joshi J, Kozyrovska N, Lasch P, Lee N, Leuko S, Onofri S, Ott S, Pacelli C, Rabbow E, Rothschild L, Schulze-Makuch D, Selbmann L, Serrano P, Szewzyk U, Verseux C, Wagner D, Westall F, Zucconi L, de Vera JPP. Biosignature stability in space enables their use for life detection on Mars. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn7412. [PMID: 36070383 PMCID: PMC9451166 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn7412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Two rover missions to Mars aim to detect biomolecules as a sign of extinct or extant life with, among other instruments, Raman spectrometers. However, there are many unknowns about the stability of Raman-detectable biomolecules in the martian environment, clouding the interpretation of the results. To quantify Raman-detectable biomolecule stability, we exposed seven biomolecules for 469 days to a simulated martian environment outside the International Space Station. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) strongly changed the Raman spectra signals, but only minor change was observed when samples were shielded from UVR. These findings provide support for Mars mission operations searching for biosignatures in the subsurface. This experiment demonstrates the detectability of biomolecules by Raman spectroscopy in Mars regolith analogs after space exposure and lays the groundwork for a consolidated space-proven database of spectroscopy biosignatures in targeted environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickael Baqué
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Planetary Laboratories Department, Rutherfordstr. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Theresa Backhaus
- Heinrich-Heine-Universität (HHU), Institut für Botanik, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Joachim Meeßen
- Heinrich-Heine-Universität (HHU), Institut für Botanik, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Franziska Hanke
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, Rutherfordstr. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ute Böttger
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, Rutherfordstr. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nisha Ramkissoon
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Karen Olsson-Francis
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Michael Baumgärtner
- Microbial Geoecology and Astrobiology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå university, Linnaeus väg 6, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Daniela Billi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Cassaro
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Rosa de la Torre Noetzel
- Departamento de Observación de la Tierra, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz-28850, Madrid, Spain
| | - René Demets
- European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC),, Noordwijk, Netherlands
| | - Howell Edwards
- University of Bradford, University Analytical Centre, Division of Chemical and Forensic Sciences, Raman Spectroscopy Group, West Yorkshire, UK
| | - Pascale Ehrenfreund
- Leiden Observatory, Laboratory Astrophysics, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- George Washington University, Space Policy Institute, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Andreas Elsaesser
- Freie Universitaet Berlin, Experimental Biophysics and Space Sciences, Institute of Experimental Physics; Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernard Foing
- Leiden Observatory, Laboratory Astrophysics, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081-1087, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Frédéric Foucher
- CNRS Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, UPR-4301, Rue Charles Sadron, CS80054, 45071 Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - Björn Huwe
- Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, D-14469 Potsdam, Germany
- Department Technology Assessment and Substance Cycles, Leibniz- Institute for Agriculture Engineering and Bioeconomy, Max-Eyth-Allee 100, D-14469 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Jasmin Joshi
- Institute for Landscape and Open Space, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, Seestrasse 10, 8640 Rapperswil, Switzerland
| | - Natalia Kozyrovska
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of NASU, Acad. Zabolotnoho str.150, 03680, Kyiv Ukraine
| | - Peter Lasch
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens (ZBS 6), Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Natuschka Lee
- Microbial Geoecology and Astrobiology, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå university, Linnaeus väg 6, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Stefan Leuko
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln, Germany
| | - Silvano Onofri
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Sieglinde Ott
- Heinrich-Heine-Universität (HHU), Institut für Botanik, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Claudia Pacelli
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
- Research and Science Department, Italian Space Agency (ASI), Via del Politecnico snc, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Elke Rabbow
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln, Germany
| | - Lynn Rothschild
- NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 239-20, P.O. Box 1, Moffett Field, CA 94035-0001, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Dirk Schulze-Makuch
- Technical University Berlin, ZAA, Hardenbergstr. 36, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
- Section Geomicrobiology, German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), 12587, Stechlin, Germany
| | - Laura Selbmann
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
- Mycological Section, Italian Antarctic National Museum (MNA), 16121 Genoa, Italy
| | - Paloma Serrano
- Section Geomicrobiology, German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
- Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ulrich Szewzyk
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Environmental Microbiology, Technical University Berlin, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Cyprien Verseux
- Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM), University of Bremen, Am Fallturm 2, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Dirk Wagner
- Section Geomicrobiology, German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Geosciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Frances Westall
- CNRS Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, UPR-4301, Rue Charles Sadron, CS80054, 45071 Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - Laura Zucconi
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Jean-Pierre P. de Vera
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Microgravity User Support Center (MUSC), Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln, Germany
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23
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Prosdocimi F, de Farias ST, José MV. Prebiotic chemical refugia: multifaceted scenario for the formation of biomolecules in primitive Earth. Theory Biosci 2022; 141:339-347. [PMID: 36042123 DOI: 10.1007/s12064-022-00377-7] [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: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The origin of life was a cosmic event happened on primitive Earth. A critical problem to better understand the origins of life in Earth is the search for chemical scenarios on which the basic building blocks of biological molecules could be produced. Classic works in pre-biotic chemistry frequently considered early Earth as an homogeneous atmosphere constituted by chemical elements such as methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3), water (H2O), hydrogen (H2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Under that scenario, Stanley Miller was capable to produce amino acids and solved the question about the abiotic origin of proteins. Conversely, the origin of nucleic acids has tricked scientists for decades once nucleotides are complex, though necessary molecules to allow the existence of life. Here we review possible chemical scenarios that allowed not only the formation of nucleotides but also other significant biomolecules. We aim to provide a theoretical solution for the origin of biomolecules at specific sites named "Prebiotic Chemical Refugia." Prebiotic chemical refugium should therefore be understood as a geographic site in prebiotic Earth on which certain chemical elements were accumulated in higher proportion than expected, facilitating the production of basic building blocks for biomolecules. This higher proportion should not be understood as static, but dynamic; once the physicochemical conditions of our planet changed periodically. These different concentration of elements, together with geochemical and astronomical changes along days, synodic months and years provided somewhat periodic changes in temperature, pressure, electromagnetic fields, and conditions of humidity, among other features. Recent and classic works suggesting most likely prebiotic refugia on which the main building blocks for biological molecules might be accumulated are reviewed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Prosdocimi
- Laboratório de Biologia Teórica E de Sistemas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, 21.941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. .,Theoretical Biology Group, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico.
| | - Sávio Torres de Farias
- Laboratório de Genética Evolutiva Paulo Leminsk, Departamento de Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Marco V José
- Theoretical Biology Group, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico.
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24
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Krishnamurthy R, Goldman AD, Liberles DA, Rogers KL, Tor Y. Nucleobases in Meteorites to Nucleobases in RNA and DNA? J Mol Evol 2022; 90:328-331. [PMID: 35960316 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-022-10069-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Nucleic acids likely played a foundational role in the origin of life. However, the prebiotic chemistry of nucleoside and nucleotide synthesis has proved challenging on a number of fronts. The recent discovery of both pyrimidine and purine nucleobases in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites has garnered much attention from both the popular press and the scientific community. Here, we discuss these findings in the context of nucleoside/nucleotide prebiotic chemistry. We consider that the main challenge of prebiotic nucleoside synthesis, that of nucleosidic bond formation, is not addressed by the identification nucleobases in meteorites. We further discuss issues of selection that arise from the observation that such meteorites contain both canonical and non-canonical nucleobases. In sum, we argue that, despite the major analytical achievement of identifying and characterizing nucleobases in meteorites, this observation does little to advance our understanding of the prebiotic chemistry that could have led to the first genetic molecules that gave rise to us.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Aaron D Goldman
- Department of Biology, Oberlin College and Conservatory, Oberlin, OH, USA.,Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David A Liberles
- Department of Biology and Center for Computational Genetics and Genomics, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Karyn L Rogers
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Rensselaer Astrobiology Research and Education Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Yitzhak Tor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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25
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Devergne T, Magrino T, Pietrucci F, Saitta AM. Combining Machine Learning Approaches and Accurate Ab Initio Enhanced Sampling Methods for Prebiotic Chemical Reactions in Solution. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:5410-5421. [PMID: 35930696 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The study of the thermodynamics, kinetics, and microscopic mechanisms of chemical reactions in solution requires the use of advanced free-energy methods for predictions to be quantitative. This task is however a formidable one for atomistic simulation methods, as the cost of quantum-based ab initio approaches, to obtain statistically meaningful samplings of the relevant chemical spaces and networks, becomes exceedingly heavy. In this work, we critically assess the optimal structure and minimal size of an ab initio training set able to lead to accurate free-energy profiles sampled with neural network potentials. The results allow one to propose an ab initio protocol where the ad hoc inclusion of a machine-learning (ML)-based task can significantly increase the computational efficiency, while keeping the ab initio accuracy and, at the same time, avoiding some of the notorious extrapolation risks in typical atomistic ML approaches. We focus on two representative, and computationally challenging, reaction steps of the classic Strecker-cyanohydrin mechanism for glycine synthesis in water solution, where the main precursors are formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide. We demonstrate that indistinguishable ab initio quality results are obtained, thanks to the ML subprotocol, at about 1 order of magnitude less of computational load.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothée Devergne
- UMR CNRS 7590, Muséum National d' Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Sorbonne Université, 75252 Paris, France
| | - Théo Magrino
- UMR CNRS 7590, Muséum National d' Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Sorbonne Université, 75252 Paris, France
| | - Fabio Pietrucci
- UMR CNRS 7590, Muséum National d' Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Sorbonne Université, 75252 Paris, France
| | - A Marco Saitta
- UMR CNRS 7590, Muséum National d' Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Sorbonne Université, 75252 Paris, France
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26
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Prosdocimi F, de Farias ST. Entering the labyrinth: A hypothesis about the emergence of metabolism from protobiotic routes. Biosystems 2022; 220:104751. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2022.104751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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27
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Prebiotic synthesis of α-amino acids and orotate from α-ketoacids potentiates transition to extant metabolic pathways. Nat Chem 2022; 14:1142-1150. [PMID: 35902742 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-022-00999-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The Strecker reaction of aldehydes is the pre-eminent pathway to explain the prebiotic origins of α-amino acids. However, biology employs transamination of α-ketoacids to synthesize amino acids which are then transformed to nucleobases, implying an evolutionary switch-abiotically or biotically-of a prebiotic pathway involving the Strecker reaction into today's biosynthetic pathways. Here we show that α-ketoacids react with cyanide and ammonia sources to form the corresponding α-amino acids through the Bucherer-Bergs pathway. An efficient prebiotic transformation of oxaloacetate to aspartate via N-carbamoyl aspartate enables the simultaneous formation of dihydroorotate, paralleling the biochemical synthesis of orotate as the precursor to pyrimidine nucleobases. Glyoxylate forms both glycine and orotate and reacts with malonate and urea to form aspartate and dihydroorotate. These results, along with the previously demonstrated protometabolic analogues of the Krebs cycle, suggest that there can be a natural emergence of congruent forerunners of biological pathways with the potential for seamless transition from prebiotic chemistry to modern metabolism.
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28
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Gan D, Ying J, Zhao Y. Prebiotic Chemistry: The Role of Trimetaphosphate in Prebiotic Chemical Evolution. Front Chem 2022; 10:941228. [PMID: 35910738 PMCID: PMC9326000 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.941228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Life’s origins have always been a scientific puzzle. Understanding the production of biomolecules is crucial for understanding the evolution of life on Earth. Numerous studies on trimetaphosphate have been conducted in the field of prebiotic chemistry. However, its role in prebiotic chemistry has been documented infrequently in the review literature. The goal of this thesis is to review the role of trimetaphosphate in the early Earth’s biomolecule synthesis and phosphorylation. Additionally, various trimetaphosphate-mediated reaction pathways are discussed, as well as the role of trimetaphosphate in prebiotic chemistry. Finally, in our opinion, interactions between biomolecules should be considered in prebiotic synthesis scenarios since this may result in some advances in subsequent research on this subject. The research establishes an essential and opportune foundation for an in-depth examination of the “mystery of life".
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingwei Gan
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Jianxi Ying
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- *Correspondence: Jianxi Ying,
| | - Yufen Zhao
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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29
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Pleyer HL, Moeller R, Fujimori A, Fox S, Strasdeit H. Chemical, Thermal, and Radiation Resistance of an Iron Porphyrin: A Model Study of Biosignature Stability. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:776-799. [PMID: 35647896 PMCID: PMC9298530 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Metal complexes of porphyrins and porphyrin-type compounds are ubiquitous in all three domains of life, with hemes and chlorophylls being the best-known examples. Their diagenetic transformation products are found as geoporphyrins, in which the characteristic porphyrin core structure is retained and which can be up to 1.1 billion years old. Because of this, and their relative ease of detection, metalloporphyrins appear attractive as chemical biosignatures in the search for extraterrestrial life. In this study, we investigated the stability of solid chlorido(2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrinato)iron(III) [FeCl(oep)], which served as a model for heme-like molecules and iron geoporphyrins. [FeCl(oep)] was exposed to a variety of astrobiologically relevant extreme conditions, namely: aqueous acids and bases, oxidants, heat, and radiation. Key results are: (1) the [Fe(oep)]+ core is stable over the pH range 0.0-13.5 even at 80°C; (2) the oxidizing power follows the order ClO- > H2O2 > ClO3- > HNO3 > ClO4-; (3) in an inert atmosphere, the iron porphyrin is thermally stable to near 250°C; (4) at high temperatures, carbon dioxide gas is not inert but acts as an oxidant, forming carbon monoxide; (5) a decomposition layer is formed on ultraviolet irradiation and protects the [FeCl(oep)] underneath; (6) an NaCl/NaHCO3 salt mixture has a protective effect against X-rays; and (7) no such effect is observed when [FeCl(oep)] is exposed to iron ion particle radiation. The relevance to potential iron porphyrin biosignatures on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Lukas Pleyer
- Department of Bioinorganic Chemistry and Chemical Evolution, Institute of Chemistry, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Ralf Moeller
- Space Microbiology Research Group, Radiation Biology Department, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - Akira Fujimori
- Molecular and Cellular Radiation Biology Group, Department of Charged Particle Therapy Research, Institute for Quantum Medical Science, Chiba, Japan
| | - Stefan Fox
- Department of Bioinorganic Chemistry and Chemical Evolution, Institute of Chemistry, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Henry Strasdeit
- Department of Bioinorganic Chemistry and Chemical Evolution, Institute of Chemistry, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
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30
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de Prinse T, Klantsataya E, Tsiminis G, Payten T, Moffatt J, Kee TW, Spooner NA. Multiphoton Phosphorescence of Simple Ketones by Visible-light Excitation and Its Consideration for Active Sensing in Space. J Fluoresc 2022; 32:1051-1057. [PMID: 35298738 PMCID: PMC9095556 DOI: 10.1007/s10895-022-02912-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Acetone and butanone were seen to emit blue light around 450 nm when excited in the green by a high intensity pulsed laser. The pathway of this anti-Stokes emission is believed to be multiphoton absorption followed by phosphorescence, with emission being observed in the samples at cryogenic temperatures below their melting point and not seen from either ketone in their cold liquid state. Given the widespread nature of these simple ketones in off-world bodies and their potential importance as an organic resource for Space Resource Utilization, signals which enable the identification and tracing of these materials are of use in applications from remote sensing and mapping to monitoring during extraction processes. While the excitation process has a low efficiency, the ability to use visible light for sensing of these targets has advantages over UV sources, such as the wider availability of high-powered lasers which could be utilized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas de Prinse
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Elizaveta Klantsataya
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Georgios Tsiminis
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Thomas Payten
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Jillian Moffatt
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Tak W Kee
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Nigel A Spooner
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), Edinburgh, Australia
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31
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Oba Y, Takano Y, Furukawa Y, Koga T, Glavin DP, Dworkin JP, Naraoka H. Identifying the wide diversity of extraterrestrial purine and pyrimidine nucleobases in carbonaceous meteorites. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2008. [PMID: 35473908 PMCID: PMC9042847 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29612-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of pyrimidine diversity in meteorites remains a mystery since prebiotic chemical models and laboratory experiments have predicted that these compounds can also be produced from chemical precursors found in meteorites. Here we report the detection of nucleobases in three carbonaceous meteorites using state-of-the-art analytical techniques optimized for small-scale quantification of nucleobases down to the range of parts per trillion (ppt). In addition to previously detected purine nucleobases in meteorites such as guanine and adenine, we identify various pyrimidine nucleobases such as cytosine, uracil, and thymine, and their structural isomers such as isocytosine, imidazole-4-carboxylic acid, and 6-methyluracil, respectively. Given the similarity in the molecular distribution of pyrimidines in meteorites and those in photon-processed interstellar ice analogues, some of these derivatives could have been generated by photochemical reactions prevailing in the interstellar medium and later incorporated into asteroids during solar system formation. This study demonstrates that a diversity of meteoritic nucleobases could serve as building blocks of DNA and RNA on the early Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Oba
- Institute of Low Temperature Science (ILTS), Hokkaido University, N19W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0189, Japan.
| | - Yoshinori Takano
- Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Furukawa
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aza-aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Toshiki Koga
- Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Daniel P Glavin
- Solar System Exploration Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA
| | - Jason P Dworkin
- Solar System Exploration Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA
| | - Hiroshi Naraoka
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
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32
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Zlenko DV, Zanin AM, Stovbun SV. Molecular Self-Assembly as a Trigger of Life Origin and Development. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2022; 52:105-111. [PMID: 35441954 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-022-09620-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The origin and reason for the homochirality of living cells go with the problem of a relatively narrow spectrum of the actual biological monomers compared to the whole theoretically possible spectrum of amino acids or carbohydrates. A limited number of bio-monomers implies some special feature differing from all other similar molecules that are not present in the living cell. Here we propose one of the candidates for such a peculiarity: the ability to form highly elongated helical supramolecular structures (strings) when precipitating from homochiral solutions. The strings' forming can be accompanied by spontaneous splitting and/or chiral purification of the initially racemic mixture. Our previous theoretical reasoning was based mainly on the biomimetic systems, while now we describe the strings forming in homochiral amino acid solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry V Zlenko
- N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, RAS, 119334, Kosygina 4, Moscow, Russia. .,M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, 119234, Lenin Hills 1/12, Moscow, Russia. .,A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, RAS, 119334, Vavilova 34, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Anatoly M Zanin
- N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, RAS, 119334, Kosygina 4, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey V Stovbun
- N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, RAS, 119334, Kosygina 4, Moscow, Russia
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33
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Barge LM, Rodriguez LE, Weber JM, Theiling BP. Determining the "Biosignature Threshold" for Life Detection on Biotic, Abiotic, or Prebiotic Worlds. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:481-493. [PMID: 34898272 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The field of prebiotic chemistry has demonstrated that complex organic chemical systems that exhibit various life-like properties can be produced abiotically in the laboratory. Understanding these chemical systems is important for astrobiology and life detection since we do not know the extent to which prebiotic chemistry might exist or have existed on other worlds. Nor do we know what signatures are diagnostic of an extant or "failed" prebiotic system. On Earth, biology has suppressed most abiotic organic chemistry and overprints geologic records of prebiotic chemistry; therefore, it is difficult to validate whether chemical signatures from future planetary missions are remnant or extant prebiotic systems. The "biosignature threshold" between whether a chemical signature is more likely to be produced by abiotic versus biotic chemistry on a given world could vary significantly, depending on the particular environment, and could change over time, especially if life were to emerge and diversify on that world. To interpret organic signatures detected during a planetary mission, we advocate for (1) gaining a more complete understanding of prebiotic/abiotic chemical possibilities in diverse planetary environments and (2) involving experimental prebiotic samples as analogues when generating comparison libraries for "life-detection" mission instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Barge
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Laura E Rodriguez
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Jessica M Weber
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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34
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New Signatures of Bio-Molecular Complexity in the Hypervelocity Impact Ejecta of Icy Moon Analogues. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12040508. [PMID: 35454999 PMCID: PMC9026792 DOI: 10.3390/life12040508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Impact delivery of prebiotic compounds to the early Earth from an impacting comet is considered to be one of the possible ways by which prebiotic molecules arrived on the Earth. Given the ubiquity of impact features observed on all planetary bodies, bolide impacts may be a common source of organics on other planetary bodies both in our own and other solar systems. Biomolecules such as amino acids have been detected on comets and are known to be synthesized due to impact-induced shock processing. Here we report the results of a set of hypervelocity impact experiments where we shocked icy mixtures of amino acids mimicking the icy surface of planetary bodies with high-speed projectiles using a two-stage light gas gun and analyzed the ejecta material after impact. Electron microscopic observations of the ejecta have shown the presence of macroscale structures with long polypeptide chains revealed from LCMS analysis. These results suggest a pathway in which impact on cometary ices containing building blocks of life can lead to the synthesis of material architectures that could have played a role in the emergence of life on the Earth and which may be applied to other planetary bodies as well.
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35
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Giese CC, ten Kate IL, van den Ende MPA, Wolthers M, Aponte JC, Camprubi E, Dworkin JP, Elsila JE, Hangx S, King HE, Mclain HL, Plümper O, Tielens AGG. Experimental and Theoretical Constraints on Amino Acid Formation from PAHs in Asteroidal Settings. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2022; 6:468-481. [PMID: 35330631 PMCID: PMC8935471 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00329] [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: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Amino acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) belong to the range of organic compounds detected in meteorites. In this study, we tested empirically and theoretically if PAHs are precursors for amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites, as previously suggested. We conducted experiments to synthesize amino acids from fluoranthene (PAH), with ammonium bicarbonate as a source for ammonia and carbon dioxide under mimicked asteroidal conditions. In our thermodynamic calculations, we extended our analysis to additional PAH-amino acid combinations. We explored 36 reactions involving the PAHs naphthalene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, triphenylene, and coronene and the amino acids glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine. Our experiments do not show the formation of amino acids, whereas our theoretical results hint that PAHs could be precursors of amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites at low temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia-Corina Giese
- Leiden
Observatory, Faculty of Science, Leiden
University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department
of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Inge Loes ten Kate
- Department
of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Mariette Wolthers
- Department
of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - José C. Aponte
- Solar
System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, United States
- Department
of Physics, The Catholic University of America, Washington D. C. 20064, United States
- Center for
Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology, NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, United States
| | - Eloi Camprubi
- Department
of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jason P. Dworkin
- Solar
System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, United States
| | - Jamie E. Elsila
- Solar
System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, United States
| | - Suzanne Hangx
- Department
of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Helen E. King
- Department
of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hannah L. Mclain
- Solar
System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, United States
- Department
of Physics, The Catholic University of America, Washington D. C. 20064, United States
- Center for
Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology, NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, United States
| | - Oliver Plümper
- Department
of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
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36
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Chirality in Organic and Mineral Systems: A Review of Reactivity and Alteration Processes Relevant to Prebiotic Chemistry and Life Detection Missions. Symmetry (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/sym14030460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chirality is a central feature in the evolution of biological systems, but the reason for biology’s strong preference for specific chiralities of amino acids, sugars, and other molecules remains a controversial and unanswered question in origins of life research. Biological polymers tend toward homochiral systems, which favor the incorporation of a single enantiomer (molecules with a specific chiral configuration) over the other. There have been numerous investigations into the processes that preferentially enrich one enantiomer to understand the evolution of an early, racemic, prebiotic organic world. Chirality can also be a property of minerals; their interaction with chiral organics is important for assessing how post-depositional alteration processes could affect the stereochemical configuration of simple and complex organic molecules. In this paper, we review the properties of organic compounds and minerals as well as the physical, chemical, and geological processes that affect organic and mineral chirality during the preservation and detection of organic compounds. We provide perspectives and discussions on the reactions and analytical techniques that can be performed in the laboratory, and comment on the state of knowledge of flight-capable technologies in current and future planetary missions, with a focus on organics analysis and life detection.
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37
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Serra C, Lange J, Remaury QB, Timoumi R, Danger G, Laurent B, Remusat L, Rodier CG, Poinot P. Integrative analytical workflow to enhance comprehensive analysis of organic molecules in extraterrestrial objects. Talanta 2022; 243:123324. [PMID: 35219083 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123324] [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: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Molecular identification is a fundamental issue in astrobiology to investigate the routes of emergence of life on our planet involving in particular a potential seeding of extraterrestrial organic matter on the primitive Earth. However, this project encompasses major difficulties due to the low concentration of molecules present in bodies of the Solar System. This work proposes an integrative analytical workflow, no longer based on GC-MS instruments, to enhance comprehensive analysis of organic markers in these objects. Our strategy combines UPLC-HRMS and UPLC-MRM MS methods to bring both a broad molecular mapping and detailed data on indigenous compounds present in any extraterrestrial objects or laboratory analogs. Applied on water extracts from fresh meteorites, our workflow highlights a wide range of free molecules in the non-treated extracts and reveals the wide diversity of amino acid and nucleobase isomers that could lead to misinterpretation as far as the molecular composition of meteorite extracts cannot be anticipated. This strategy, never explored so far, would provide new clues for studying the organic matter in space and should offer new perspectives on its evolution and reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coline Serra
- UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), E.BiCoM Team, University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers, Cedex 9, France; Aix-Marseille University, UMR CNRS 7345, Physics of Ionic and Molecular Interactions (PIIM), ASTRO Team, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niémen, 13397, Marseille, Cedex 20, France
| | - Justin Lange
- UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), E.BiCoM Team, University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers, Cedex 9, France
| | - Quentin Blancart Remaury
- UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), E.BiCoM Team, University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers, Cedex 9, France
| | - Ramzi Timoumi
- UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), E.BiCoM Team, University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers, Cedex 9, France
| | - Grégoire Danger
- Aix-Marseille University, UMR CNRS 7345, Physics of Ionic and Molecular Interactions (PIIM), ASTRO Team, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niémen, 13397, Marseille, Cedex 20, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Marseille, France
| | - Boris Laurent
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne University, UMR CNRS 7590, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), 57 Rue Cuvier, Case 52, 75231, Paris, Cedex 5, France
| | - Laurent Remusat
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne University, UMR CNRS 7590, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC), 57 Rue Cuvier, Case 52, 75231, Paris, Cedex 5, France
| | - Claude Geffroy Rodier
- UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), E.BiCoM Team, University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers, Cedex 9, France
| | - Pauline Poinot
- UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), E.BiCoM Team, University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers, Cedex 9, France.
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38
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Fried SD, Fujishima K, Makarov M, Cherepashuk I, Hlouchova K. Peptides before and during the nucleotide world: an origins story emphasizing cooperation between proteins and nucleic acids. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20210641. [PMID: 35135297 PMCID: PMC8833103 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in Origins of Life research have focused on substantiating the narrative of an abiotic emergence of nucleic acids from organic molecules of low molecular weight, a paradigm that typically sidelines the roles of peptides. Nevertheless, the simple synthesis of amino acids, the facile nature of their activation and condensation, their ability to recognize metals and cofactors and their remarkable capacity to self-assemble make peptides (and their analogues) favourable candidates for one of the earliest functional polymers. In this mini-review, we explore the ramifications of this hypothesis. Diverse lines of research in molecular biology, bioinformatics, geochemistry, biophysics and astrobiology provide clues about the progression and early evolution of proteins, and lend credence to the idea that early peptides served many central prebiotic roles before they were encodable by a polynucleotide template, in a putative 'peptide-polynucleotide stage'. For example, early peptides and mini-proteins could have served as catalysts, compartments and structural hubs. In sum, we shed light on the role of early peptides and small proteins before and during the nucleotide world, in which nascent life fully grasped the potential of primordial proteins, and which has left an imprint on the idiosyncratic properties of extant proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen D Fried
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21212, USA.,Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21212, USA
| | - Kosuke Fujishima
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 1528550, Japan.,Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa 2520882, Japan
| | - Mikhail Makarov
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Cherepashuk
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Klara Hlouchova
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague 12800, Czech Republic.,Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
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39
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Giacobelli VG, Fujishima K, Lepšík M, Tretyachenko V, Kadavá T, Makarov M, Bednárová L, Novák P, Hlouchová K. In vitro evolution reveals non-cationic protein-RNA interaction mediated by metal ions. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6524634. [PMID: 35137196 PMCID: PMC8892947 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA–peptide/protein interactions have been of utmost importance to life since its earliest forms, reaching even before the last universal common ancestor (LUCA). However, the ancient molecular mechanisms behind this key biological interaction remain enigmatic because extant RNA–protein interactions rely heavily on positively charged and aromatic amino acids that were absent (or heavily under-represented) in the early pre-LUCA evolutionary period. Here, an RNA-binding variant of the ribosomal uL11 C-terminal domain was selected from an approximately 1010 library of partially randomized sequences, all composed of ten prebiotically plausible canonical amino acids. The selected variant binds to the cognate RNA with a similar overall affinity although it is less structured in the unbound form than the wild-type protein domain. The variant complex association and dissociation are both slower than for the wild-type, implying different mechanistic processes involved. The profile of the wild-type and mutant complex stabilities along with molecular dynamics simulations uncovers qualitative differences in the interaction modes. In the absence of positively charged and aromatic residues, the mutant uL11 domain uses ion bridging (K+/Mg2+) interactions between the RNA sugar-phosphate backbone and glutamic acid residues as an alternative source of stabilization. This study presents experimental support to provide a new perspective on how early protein–RNA interactions evolved, where the lack of aromatic/basic residues may have been compensated by acidic residues plus metal ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio G Giacobelli
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Kosuke Fujishima
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 1528550, Japan.,Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa, 2520882, Japan
| | - Martin Lepšík
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Vyacheslav Tretyachenko
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Kadavá
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Mikhail Makarov
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Bednárová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Novák
- Institute of Microbiology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, 25250, Czech Republic
| | - Klára Hlouchová
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, 12800, Czech Republic.,Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 16610, Czech Republic
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40
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NAKAMURA E, KOBAYASHI K, TANAKA R, KUNIHIRO T, KITAGAWA H, POTISZIL C, OTA T, SAKAGUCHI C, YAMANAKA M, RATNAYAKE DM, TRIPATHI H, KUMAR R, AVRAMESCU ML, TSUCHIDA H, YACHI Y, MIURA H, ABE M, FUKAI R, FURUYA S, HATAKEDA K, HAYASHI T, HITOMI Y, KUMAGAI K, MIYAZAKI A, NAKATO A, NISHIMURA M, OKADA T, SOEJIMA H, SUGITA S, SUZUKI A, USUI T, YADA T, YAMAMOTO D, YOGATA K, YOSHITAKE M, ARAKAWA M, FUJII A, HAYAKAWA M, HIRATA N, HIRATA N, HONDA R, HONDA C, HOSODA S, IIJIMA YI, IKEDA H, ISHIGURO M, ISHIHARA Y, IWATA T, KAWAHARA K, KIKUCHI S, KITAZATO K, MATSUMOTO K, MATSUOKA M, MICHIKAMI T, MIMASU Y, MIURA A, MOROTA T, NAKAZAWA S, NAMIKI N, NODA H, NOGUCHI R, OGAWA N, OGAWA K, OKAMOTO C, ONO G, OZAKI M, SAIKI T, SAKATANI N, SAWADA H, SENSHU H, SHIMAKI Y, SHIRAI K, TAKEI Y, TAKEUCHI H, TANAKA S, TATSUMI E, TERUI F, TSUKIZAKI R, WADA K, YAMADA M, YAMADA T, YAMAMOTO Y, YANO H, YOKOTA Y, YOSHIHARA K, YOSHIKAWA M, YOSHIKAWA K, FUJIMOTO M, WATANABE SI, TSUDA Y. On the origin and evolution of the asteroid Ryugu: A comprehensive geochemical perspective. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY. SERIES B, PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2022; 98:227-282. [PMID: 35691845 PMCID: PMC9246647 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.98.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Presented here are the observations and interpretations from a comprehensive analysis of 16 representative particles returned from the C-type asteroid Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 mission. On average Ryugu particles consist of 50% phyllosilicate matrix, 41% porosity and 9% minor phases, including organic matter. The abundances of 70 elements from the particles are in close agreement with those of CI chondrites. Bulk Ryugu particles show higher δ18O, Δ17O, and ε54Cr values than CI chondrites. As such, Ryugu sampled the most primitive and least-thermally processed protosolar nebula reservoirs. Such a finding is consistent with multi-scale H-C-N isotopic compositions that are compatible with an origin for Ryugu organic matter within both the protosolar nebula and the interstellar medium. The analytical data obtained here, suggests that complex soluble organic matter formed during aqueous alteration on the Ryugu progenitor planetesimal (several 10's of km), <2.6 Myr after CAI formation. Subsequently, the Ryugu progenitor planetesimal was fragmented and evolved into the current asteroid Ryugu through sublimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eizo NAKAMURA
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Katsura KOBAYASHI
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Ryoji TANAKA
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Tak KUNIHIRO
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Hiroshi KITAGAWA
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Christian POTISZIL
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Tsutomu OTA
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Chie SAKAGUCHI
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Masahiro YAMANAKA
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Dilan M. RATNAYAKE
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Havishk TRIPATHI
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Rahul KUMAR
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Maya-Liliana AVRAMESCU
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Hidehisa TSUCHIDA
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Yusuke YACHI
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori, Japan
| | - Hitoshi MIURA
- Department of Information and Basic Science, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Masanao ABE
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ryota FUKAI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shizuho FURUYA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kentaro HATAKEDA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tasuku HAYASHI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yuya HITOMI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Marine Works Japan, Ltd., Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazuya KUMAGAI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Marine Works Japan, Ltd., Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Akiko MIYAZAKI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Aiko NAKATO
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Masahiro NISHIMURA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tatsuaki OKADA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromichi SOEJIMA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Marine Works Japan, Ltd., Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Seiji SUGITA
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Planetary Exploration Research Center (PERC), Chiba Institute of Technology, Narashino, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ayako SUZUKI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Marine Works Japan, Ltd., Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tomohiro USUI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Toru YADA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Daiki YAMAMOTO
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kasumi YOGATA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Miwa YOSHITAKE
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | - Atsushi FUJII
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Masahiko HAYAKAWA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Naoyuki HIRATA
- Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Naru HIRATA
- Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, The University of Aizu, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Rie HONDA
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan
| | - Chikatoshi HONDA
- Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, The University of Aizu, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Satoshi HOSODA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yu-ichi IIJIMA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hitoshi IKEDA
- Research and Development Directorate, JAXA, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Masateru ISHIGURO
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yoshiaki ISHIHARA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takahiro IWATA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kosuke KAWAHARA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shota KIKUCHI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Planetary Exploration Research Center (PERC), Chiba Institute of Technology, Narashino, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kohei KITAZATO
- Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, The University of Aizu, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Koji MATSUMOTO
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Moe MATSUOKA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Observatoire de Paris, Meudon, France
| | - Tatsuhiro MICHIKAMI
- Faculty of Engineering, Kindai University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yuya MIMASU
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Akira MIURA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tomokatsu MOROTA
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Satoru NAKAZAWA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Noriyuki NAMIKI
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirotomo NODA
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rina NOGUCHI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Faculty of Science, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Naoko OGAWA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- JAXA Space Exploration Center, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazunori OGAWA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Chisato OKAMOTO
- Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Go ONO
- Research and Development Directorate, JAXA, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Masanobu OZAKI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takanao SAIKI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | - Hirotaka SAWADA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hiroki SENSHU
- Planetary Exploration Research Center (PERC), Chiba Institute of Technology, Narashino, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yuri SHIMAKI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kei SHIRAI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Yuto TAKEI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hiroshi TAKEUCHI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Satoshi TANAKA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
- The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Eri TATSUMI
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Fuyuto TERUI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Faculty of Engineering, Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ryudo TSUKIZAKI
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Koji WADA
- Planetary Exploration Research Center (PERC), Chiba Institute of Technology, Narashino, Chiba, Japan
| | - Manabu YAMADA
- Planetary Exploration Research Center (PERC), Chiba Institute of Technology, Narashino, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tetsuya YAMADA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yukio YAMAMOTO
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hajime YANO
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro YOKOTA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Keisuke YOSHIHARA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Makoto YOSHIKAWA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kent YOSHIKAWA
- Research and Development Directorate, JAXA, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Masaki FUJIMOTO
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Sei-ichiro WATANABE
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yuichi TSUDA
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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41
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Ferrance JP. Solid phase extraction on reverse phase chromatographic media subjected to stresses expected for extraterrestrial implementation. Analyst 2022; 147:3514-3524. [DOI: 10.1039/d2an00768a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Reverse phase solid phase extraction matrices were tested using standard analytes then exposed to space flight stresses to ensure functionality when deployed for liquid sample analysis on remote bodies.
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42
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Average and Standard Deviation of the Error Function for Random Genetic Codes with Standard Stop Codons. Acta Biotheor 2021; 70:7. [PMID: 34919168 DOI: 10.1007/s10441-021-09427-x] [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: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The origin of the genetic code has been attributed in part to an accidental assignment of codons to amino acids. Although several lines of evidence indicate the subsequent expansion and improvement of the genetic code, the hypothesis of Francis Crick concerning a frozen accident occurring at the early stage of genetic code evolution is still widely accepted. Considering Crick's hypothesis, mathematical descriptions of hypothetical scenarios involving a huge number of possible coexisting random genetic codes could be very important to explain the origin and evolution of a selected genetic code. This work aims to contribute in this regard, that is, it provides a theoretical framework in which statistical parameters of error functions are calculated. Given a genetic code and an amino acid property, the functional code robustness is estimated by means of a known error function. In this work, using analytical calculations, general expressions for the average and standard deviation of the error function distributions of completely random codes with standard stop codons were obtained. As a possible biological application of these results, any set of amino acids and any pure or mixed amino acid properties can be used in the calculations, such that, in case of having to select a set of amino acids to create a genetic code, possible advantages of natural selection of the genetic codes could be discussed.
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43
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Factors in Protobiomonomer Selection for the Origin of the Standard Genetic Code. Acta Biotheor 2021; 69:745-767. [PMID: 34283307 DOI: 10.1007/s10441-021-09420-4] [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: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Natural selection of specific protobiomonomers during abiogenic development of the prototype genetic code is hindered by the diversity of structural, spatial, and rotational isomers that have identical elemental composition and molecular mass (M), but can vary significantly in their physicochemical characteristics, such as the melting temperature Tm, the Tm:M ratio, and the solubility in water, due to different positions of atoms in the molecule. These parameters differ between cis- and trans-isomers of dicarboxylic acids, spatial monosaccharide isomers, and structural isomers of α-, β-, and γ-amino acids. The stable planar heterocyclic molecules of the major nucleobases comprise four (C, H, N, O) or three (C, H, N) elements and contain a single -C=C bond and two nitrogen atoms in each heterocycle involved in C-N and C=N bonds. They exist as isomeric resonance hybrids of single and double bonds and as a mixture of tautomer forms due to the presence of -C=O and/or -NH2 side groups. They are thermostable, insoluble in water, and exhibit solid-state stability, which is of central importance for DNA molecules as carriers of genetic information. In M-Tm diagrams, proteinogenic amino acids and the corresponding codons are distributed fairly regularly relative to the distinct clusters of purine and pyrimidine bases, reflecting the correspondence between codons and amino acids that was established in different periods of genetic code development. The body of data on the evolution of the genetic code system indicates that the elemental composition and molecular structure of protobiomonomers, and their M, Tm, photostability, and aqueous solubility determined their selection in the emergence of the standard genetic code.
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44
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Lymer EA, Konstantinidis M, Lalla EA, Daly MG, Tait KT. UV Time-Resolved Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Amino Acids Found in Meteorites: Implications for Space Science and Exploration. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:1350-1362. [PMID: 34314603 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0006] [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: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy is a useful laboratory and in situ technique for planetary exploration, with applications in biosignature detection and the search for life on Mars. However, little work has been completed on the utility of fluorescence spectroscopy techniques on asteroid relevant material. In preparation for asteroid sample return missions such as NASA's OSIRIS-REx and JAXA's Hayabusa2, we conducted UV time resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TR-LIF) analysis of 10 amino acids, all of which have been found in the carbonaceous meteorites Murchison and Allende. We present the calculation of decay rates of each amino acid (1.55-3.56 ns) and compare with those of relevant homogeneous minerals (15-70 ns). Moreover, we demonstrate a linear relationship between calculated lifetimes and elemental abundance of nitrogen and carbon (p < 0.025). The quantitative and qualitative fluorescence analyses presented in this work will lead to more reliable identification of organic material within meteorites and asteroids in a time-efficient, minimally destructive way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Lymer
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Menelaos Konstantinidis
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, York University, Toronto, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Emmanuel A Lalla
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Michael G Daly
- Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kimberly T Tait
- Department of Natural History, Centre for Applied Planetary Mineralogy, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada
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45
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Sheng M, Silvestrini F, Biczysko M, Puzzarini C. Structural and Vibrational Properties of Amino Acids from Composite Schemes and Double-Hybrid DFT: Hydrogen Bonding in Serine as a Test Case. J Phys Chem A 2021; 125:9099-9114. [PMID: 34623165 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c06993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The structures, relative stabilities, and vibrational wavenumbers of the two most stable conformers of serine, stabilized by the O-H···N, O-H···O═C and N-H···O-H intramolecular hydrogen bonds, have been evaluated by means of state-of-the-art composite schemes based on coupled-cluster (CC) theory. The so-called "cheap" composite approach (CCSD(T)/(CBS+CV)MP2) allowed determination of accurate equilibrium structures and harmonic vibrational wavenumbers, also pointing out significant corrections beyond the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ level. These accurate results stand as a reference for benchmarking selected hybrid and double-hybrid, dispersion-corrected DFT functionals. B2PLYP-D3 and DSDPBEP86 in conjunction with a triple-ζ basis set have been confirmed as effective methodologies for structural and spectroscopic studies of medium-sized flexible biomolecules, also showing intramolecular hydrogen bonding. These best performing double-hybrid functionals have been employed to simulate IR spectra by means of vibrational perturbation theory, also considering hybrid CC/DFT schemes. The best overall agreement with experiment, with mean absolute error of 8 cm-1, has been obtained by combining CCSD(T)/(CBS+CV)MP2 harmonic wavenumbers with B2PLYP-D3/maug-cc-pVTZ anharmonic corrections. Finally, a composite scheme entirely based on CCSD(T) calculations (CCSD(T)/CBS+CV) has been employed for energetics, further confirming that serine II is the most stable conformer, also when zero-point vibrational energy corrections are included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu Sheng
- International Centre for Quantum and Molecular Structures, Physics Department, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Filippo Silvestrini
- Department of Chemistry "Giacomo Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Malgorzata Biczysko
- International Centre for Quantum and Molecular Structures, Physics Department, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Department of Chemistry "Giacomo Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
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46
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Barreiro-Lage D, Bolognesi P, Chiarinelli J, Richter R, Zettergren H, Stockett MH, Carlini L, Diaz-Tendero S, Avaldi L. "Smart Decomposition" of Cyclic Alanine-Alanine Dipeptide by VUV Radiation: A Seed for the Synthesis of Biologically Relevant Species. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:7379-7386. [PMID: 34324354 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A combined experimental and theoretical study shows how the interaction of VUV radiation with cyclo-(alanine-alanine), one of the 2,5-diketopiperazines (DKPs), produces reactive oxazolidinone intermediates. The theoretical simulations reveal that the interaction of these intermediates with other neutral and charged fragments, released in the molecular decomposition, leads either to the reconstruction of the cyclic dipeptide or to the formation of longer linear peptide chains. These results may explain how DKPs could have, on one hand, survived hostile chemical environments and, on the other, provided the seed for amino acid polymerization. Shedding light on the mechanisms of production of such prebiotic building blocks is of paramount importance to understanding the abiotic synthesis of relevant biologically active compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darío Barreiro-Lage
- Departamento de Química, Módulo 13, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paola Bolognesi
- Institute of Structure of Matter-CNR (ISM-CNR), Area della Ricerca di Roma 1, Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Jacopo Chiarinelli
- Institute of Structure of Matter-CNR (ISM-CNR), Area della Ricerca di Roma 1, Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Robert Richter
- Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, 34149 Basovizza, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Mark H Stockett
- Department of Physics, Stockholm University, Se-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura Carlini
- Institute of Structure of Matter-CNR (ISM-CNR), Area della Ricerca di Roma 1, Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Sergio Diaz-Tendero
- Departamento de Química, Módulo 13, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Institute for Advanced Research in Chemical Science (IAdChem), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Avaldi
- Institute of Structure of Matter-CNR (ISM-CNR), Area della Ricerca di Roma 1, Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
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47
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Ma JT, Wang LS, Chai Z, Chen XF, Tang BC, Chen XL, He C, Wu YD, Wu AX. Access to 2-arylquinazolines via catabolism/reconstruction of amino acids with the insertion of dimethyl sulfoxide. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:5414-5417. [PMID: 33949486 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc00623a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Quinazoline skeletons are synthesized by amino acid catabolism/reconstruction combined with the insertion/cyclization of dimethyl sulfoxide for the first time. The amino acid acts as a carbon and nitrogen source through HI-mediated catabolism and is then reconstructed using aromatic amines and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a one-carbon synthon. This protocol is of great significance for the further study of the conversion of amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Tian Ma
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China.
| | - Li-Sheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China.
| | - Zhi Chai
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China.
| | - Xin-Feng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China.
| | - Bo-Cheng Tang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China.
| | - Xiang-Long Chen
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China.
| | - Cai He
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China.
| | - Yan-Dong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China.
| | - An-Xin Wu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, P. R. China.
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48
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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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49
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Davila AF. Life on Mars: Independent Genesis or Common Ancestor? ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:802-812. [PMID: 33848439 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2397] [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: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The possibility of biological transfer between planetary bodies is seldom factored into life detection strategies, although the actuality of such an event would have profound implications for how we interpret potential biosignatures found on other worlds. This article addresses the possibility of life on Mars in the context of a biological transfer and an independent genesis of life. The phylogenetic tree of life on Earth is used as a blueprint to interpret evidence of life and as a guideline to determine the likelihood that potential biosignatures could be expressed by martian organisms. Several transfer scenarios are considered, depending on the timing of transfer with respect to the evolution of life on Earth. The implications of each transfer scenario and an independent genesis of life on the biochemical nature of the resulting martian organisms are discussed. The analysis highlights how conceding the possibility of a biological transfer has practical implications for how we search for evidence of life, both in terms of the quality of potential biosignatures and the likelihood that certain biosignatures might be expressed. It is concluded that a degree of uncertainty on the origin of martian organisms might be unavoidable, particularly in the absence of a biochemical context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso F Davila
- NASA Ames Research Center, Exobiology Branch, Moffett Field, California, USA
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Exploring the link between molecular cloud ices and chondritic organic matter in laboratory. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3538. [PMID: 34112800 PMCID: PMC8192538 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23895-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbonaceous meteorites are fragments of asteroids rich in organic material. In the forming solar nebula, parent bodies may have accreted organic materials resulting from the evolution of icy grains observed in dense molecular clouds. The major issues of this scenario are the secondary processes having occurred on asteroids, which may have modified the accreted matter. Here, we explore the evolution of organic analogs of protostellar/protoplanetary disk material once accreted and submitted to aqueous alteration at 150 °C. The evolution of molecular compounds during up to 100 days is monitored by high resolution mass spectrometry. We report significant evolution of the molecular families, with the decreases of H/C and N/C ratios. We find that the post-aqueous products share compositional similarities with the soluble organic matter of the Murchison meteorite. These results give a comprehensive scenario of the possible link between carbonaceous meteorites and ices of dense molecular clouds. Several scenarios exist to explain the origins of the organic matter found in carbonaceous chondrites. Here, the authors show laboratory experiments confirming that a significant portion of the soluble organic matter can originate from organic ices inherited from the dense molecular cloud.
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