1
|
Edri R, Williams LD, Frenkel-Pinter M. From Catalysis of Evolution to Evolution of Catalysis. Acc Chem Res 2024. [PMID: 39373892 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusThe mystery of the origins of life is one of the most difficult yet intriguing challenges to which humanity has grappled. How did biopolymers emerge in the absence of enzymes (evolved biocatalysts), and how did long-lasting chemical evolution find a path to the highly selective complex biology that we observe today? In this paper, we discuss a chemical framework that explores the very roots of catalysis, demonstrating how standard catalytic activity based on chemical and physical principles can evolve into complex machineries. We provide several examples of how prebiotic catalysis by small molecules can be exploited to facilitate polymerization, which in biology has transformed the nature of catalysis. Thus, catalysis evolved, and evolution was catalyzed, during the transformation of prebiotic chemistry to biochemistry. Traditionally, a catalyst is defined as a substance that (i) speeds up a chemical reaction by lowering activation energy through different chemical mechanisms and (ii) is not consumed during the course of the reaction. However, considering prebiotic chemistry, which involved a highly diverse chemical space (i.e., high number of potential reactants and products) and constantly changing environment that lacked highly sophisticated catalytic machinery, we stress here that a more primitive, broader definition should be considered. Here, we consider a catalyst as any chemical species that lowers activation energy. We further discuss various demonstrations of how simple prebiotic molecules such as hydroxy acids and mercaptoacids promote the formation of peptide bonds via energetically favored exchange reactions. Even though the small molecules are partially regenerated and partially retained within the resulting oligomers, these prebiotic catalysts fulfill their primary role. Catalysis by metal ions and in complex chemical mixtures is also highlighted. We underline how chemical evolution is primarily dictated by kinetics rather than thermodynamics and demonstrate a novel concept to support this notion. Moreover, we propose a new perspective on the role of water in prebiotic catalysis. The role of water as simply a "medium" obscures its importance as an active participant in the chemistry of life, specifically as a very efficient catalyst and as a participant in many chemical transformations. Here we highlight the unusual contribution of water to increasing complexification over the course of chemical evolution. We discuss possible pathways by which prebiotic catalysis promoted chemical selection and complexification. Taken together, this Account draws a connection line between prebiotic catalysis and contemporary biocatalysis and demonstrates that the fundamental elements of chemical catalysis are embedded within today's biocatalysts. This Account illustrates how the evolution of catalysis was intertwined with chemical evolution from the very beginning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rotem Edri
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, United States
- Center for the Origins of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400, United States
| | - Moran Frenkel-Pinter
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
- The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bocková J, Jones NC, Hoffmann SV, Meinert C. The astrochemical evolutionary traits of phospholipid membrane homochirality. Nat Rev Chem 2024; 8:652-664. [PMID: 39025922 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-024-00627-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Compartmentalization is crucial for the evolution of life. Present-day phospholipid membranes exhibit a high level of complexity and species-dependent homochirality, the so-called lipid divide. It is possible that less stable, yet more dynamic systems, promoting out-of-equilibrium environments, facilitated the evolution of life at its early stages. The composition of the preceding primitive membranes and the evolutionary route towards complexity and homochirality remain unexplained. Organics-rich carbonaceous chondrites are evidence of the ample diversity of interstellar chemistry, which may have enriched the prebiotic milieu on early Earth. This Review evaluates the detections of simple amphiphiles - likely ancestors of membrane phospholipids - in extraterrestrial samples and analogues, along with potential pathways to form primitive compartments on primeval Earth. The chiroptical properties of the chiral backbones of phospholipids provide a guide for future investigations into the origins of phospholipid membrane homochirality. We highlight a plausible common pathway towards homochirality of lipids, amino acids, and sugars starting from enantioenriched monomers. Finally, given their high recalcitrance and resistance to degradation, lipids are among the best candidate biomarkers in exobiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jana Bocková
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, CNRS UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Nykola C Jones
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Søren V Hoffmann
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, CNRS UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
De Gregorio B, Cody GD, Stroud RM, David Kilcoyne AL, Sandford S, Le Guillou C, Nittler LR, Barosch J, Yabuta H, Martins Z, Kebukawa Y, Okumura T, Hashiguchi M, Yamashita S, Takeichi Y, Takahashi Y, Wakabayashi D, Engrand C, Bejach L, Bonal L, Quirico E, Remusat L, Duprat J, Verdier-Paoletti M, Mostefaoui S, Komatsu M, Mathurin J, Dazzi A, Deniset-Besseau A, Dartois E, Tamenori Y, Suga H, Montagnac G, Kamide K, Shigenaka M, Matsumoto M, Enokido Y, Yoshikawa M, Saiki T, Tanaka S, Terui F, Nakazawa S, Usui T, Abe M, Okada T, Yada T, Nishimura M, Nakato A, Miyazaki A, Yogata K, Yurimoto H, Nakamura T, Noguchi T, Okazaki R, Naraoka H, Sakamoto K, Tachibana S, Watanabe SI, Tsuda Y. Variations of organic functional chemistry in carbonaceous matter from the asteroid 162173 Ryugu. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7488. [PMID: 39209830 PMCID: PMC11362305 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51731-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Primordial carbon delivered to the early earth by asteroids and meteorites provided a diverse source of extraterrestrial organics from pre-existing simple organic compounds, complex solar-irradiated macromolecules, and macromolecules from extended hydrothermal processing. Surface regolith collected by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft from the carbon-rich asteroid 162173 Ryugu present a unique opportunity to untangle the sources and processing history of carbonaceous matter. Here we show carbonaceous grains in Ryugu can be classified into three main populations defined by spectral shape: Highly aromatic (HA), Alkyl-Aromatic (AA), and IOM-like (IL). These carbon populations may be related to primordial chemistry, since C and N isotopic compositions vary between the three groups. Diffuse carbon is occasionally dominated by molecular carbonate preferentially associated with coarse-grained phyllosilicate minerals. Compared to related carbonaceous meteorites, the greater diversity of organic functional chemistry in Ryugu indicate the pristine condition of these asteroid samples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley De Gregorio
- Materials Science and Technology Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - George D Cody
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rhonda M Stroud
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - A L David Kilcoyne
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Scott Sandford
- NASA Ames Research Laboratory, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA, USA
| | - Corentin Le Guillou
- Unité Matériaux et Transformations, Université de Lille, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Larry R Nittler
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jens Barosch
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Hikaru Yabuta
- Department of Earth and Planetary Systems Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Zita Martins
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences and Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Yoko Kebukawa
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taiga Okumura
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Minako Hashiguchi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shohei Yamashita
- Photon Factory, High Energy Acceleratory Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yasuo Takeichi
- Photon Factory, High Energy Acceleratory Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yoshio Takahashi
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Wakabayashi
- Photon Factory, High Energy Acceleratory Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Cécile Engrand
- Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis Irène Joliot-Curie, Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Orsay, France
| | - Laure Bejach
- Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis Irène Joliot-Curie, Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Orsay, France
| | - Lydie Bonal
- Institute de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Eric Quirico
- Institute de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Laurent Remusat
- Institut de Mineralogie, Physique des Materiaux et Cosmochimie, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Jean Duprat
- Institut de Mineralogie, Physique des Materiaux et Cosmochimie, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Maximilien Verdier-Paoletti
- Institut de Mineralogie, Physique des Materiaux et Cosmochimie, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Smail Mostefaoui
- Institut de Mineralogie, Physique des Materiaux et Cosmochimie, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Mutsumi Komatsu
- General Education Department, Saitama Prefectural University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Jérémie Mathurin
- Institut Chimie Physique, Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Orsay, France
| | - Alexandre Dazzi
- Institut Chimie Physique, Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Orsay, France
| | - Ariane Deniset-Besseau
- Institut Chimie Physique, Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Orsay, France
| | - Emmanuel Dartois
- Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d'Orsay, Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Orsay, France
| | - Yusuke Tamenori
- Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroki Suga
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Gilles Montagnac
- École normale supérieure de Lyon, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Kanami Kamide
- Department of Earth and Planetary Systems Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Miho Shigenaka
- Department of Earth and Planetary Systems Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | | | - Yuma Enokido
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Makoto Yoshikawa
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, 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
| | - Fuyuto Terui
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Atsugi, Japan
| | - Satoru Nakazawa
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Usui
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Masanao Abe
- 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
| | - Toru Yada
- 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
| | - Aiko Nakato
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Akiko Miyazaki
- 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
| | - Hisayoshi Yurimoto
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Tomoki Nakamura
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takaaki Noguchi
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryuji Okazaki
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Naraoka
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kanako Sakamoto
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Shogo Tachibana
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sei-Ichiro Watanabe
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuichi Tsuda
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chandru K, Potiszil C, Jia TZ. Alternative Pathways in Astrobiology: Reviewing and Synthesizing Contingency and Non-Biomolecular Origins of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Life. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:1069. [PMID: 39337854 PMCID: PMC11433091 DOI: 10.3390/life14091069] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The pursuit of understanding the origins of life (OoL) on and off Earth and the search for extraterrestrial life (ET) are central aspects of astrobiology. Despite the considerable efforts in both areas, more novel and multifaceted approaches are needed to address these profound questions with greater detail and with certainty. The complexity of the chemical milieu within ancient geological environments presents a diverse landscape where biomolecules and non-biomolecules interact. This interaction could lead to life as we know it, dominated by biomolecules, or to alternative forms of life where non-biomolecules could play a pivotal role. Such alternative forms of life could be found beyond Earth, i.e., on exoplanets and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Challenging the notion that all life, including ET life, must use the same building blocks as life on Earth, the concept of contingency-when expanded beyond its macroevolution interpretation-suggests that non-biomolecules may have played essential roles at the OoL. Here, we review the possible role of contingency and non-biomolecules at the OoL and synthesize a conceptual model formally linking contingency with non-biomolecular OoL theories. This model emphasizes the significance of considering the role of non-biomolecules both at the OoL on Earth or beyond, as well as their potential as agnostic biosignatures indicative of ET Life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kuhan Chandru
- Space Science Center (ANGKASA), Institute of Climate Change, National University of Malaysia, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
- Polymer Research Center (PORCE), Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, CENIDE, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Christian Potiszil
- The Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa 682-0193, Tottori, Japan
| | - Tony Z Jia
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku 152-8550, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lévêque P, Queffelec C, Sotin C, Afonso C, Bollengier O, Clouet A, Le Menn E, Marrocchi Y, Schmitz I, Bujoli B. Effect of Nitrogen on the Structure and Composition of Primordial Organic Matter Analogs. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2024; 8:1281-1295. [PMID: 39045227 PMCID: PMC11261614 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Organic molecules are ubiquitous in primitive solar system bodies such as comets and asteroids. These primordial organic compounds may have formed in the interstellar medium and in protoplanetary disks (PPDs) before being accreted and further transformed in the parent bodies of meteorites, icy moons, and dwarf planets. The present study describes the composition of primordial organics analogs produced in a laboratory simulator of the PPD (the Nebulotron experiment at the CRPG laboratory) with nitrogen contents varying from N/C < 0.01 to N/C = 0.63. We present the first Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry analysis of these analogs. Several thousands of molecules with masses between m/z 100 and 500 are characterized. The mass spectra show a Gaussian shape with maxima around m/z 250. Highly condensed polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are the most common compounds identified in the samples with lower nitrogen contents. As the amount of nitrogen increases, a dramatic increase of the chemical diversity is observed. Nitrogen-bearing compounds are also dominated by polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PANH) made of 5- and 6-membered rings containing up to four nitrogen atoms, including triazine and pyrazole rings. Such N-rich aromatic species are expected to decompose easily in the presence of water at higher temperatures. Pure carbon molecules are also observed for samples with relatively small fractions of nitrogen. MS peaks compatible with the presence of amino acids and nucleobases, or their isomers, are detected. When comparing these Nebulotron samples with the insoluble fraction of the Paris meteorite organic matter, we observe that the samples with intermediate N/C ratios bracketing that of the Paris insoluble organic matter (IOM) display relative proportions of the CH, CHO, CHN, and CHNO chemical families also bracketing those of the Paris IOM. Our results support that Nebulotron samples are relevant laboratory analogs of primitive chondritic organic matter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Lévêque
- Nantes
Université, Univ. Angers, Le Mans Université, CNRS,
Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géosciences, LPG UMR
6112, Nantes 44000, France
- CEISAM,
Nantes Université, UMR-CNRS 6230, Nantes F-44000, France
| | | | - Christophe Sotin
- Nantes
Université, Univ. Angers, Le Mans Université, CNRS,
Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géosciences, LPG UMR
6112, Nantes 44000, France
| | - Carlos Afonso
- Normandie
Université, COBRA, UMR 6014, FR 3038, Université de
Rouen, INSA de Rouen-Normandie, CNRS, IRCOF, Mont Saint Aignan 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France
| | - Olivier Bollengier
- Nantes
Université, Univ. Angers, Le Mans Université, CNRS,
Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géosciences, LPG UMR
6112, Nantes 44000, France
| | - Adriana Clouet
- Nantes
Université, Univ. Angers, Le Mans Université, CNRS,
Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géosciences, LPG UMR
6112, Nantes 44000, France
| | - Erwan Le Menn
- Nantes
Université, Univ. Angers, Le Mans Université, CNRS,
Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géosciences, LPG UMR
6112, Nantes 44000, France
| | - Yves Marrocchi
- Centre
de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques, UMR 7358
CNRS-Université de Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy F-54501, France
| | - Isabelle Schmitz
- Normandie
Université, COBRA, UMR 6014, FR 3038, Université de
Rouen, INSA de Rouen-Normandie, CNRS, IRCOF, Mont Saint Aignan 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan Cedex, France
| | - Bruno Bujoli
- CEISAM,
Nantes Université, UMR-CNRS 6230, Nantes F-44000, France
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Xiong X, Hu Y. Infrared Spectroscopy of Neutral and Cationic Benzonitrile-Methanol Binary Clusters in Supersonic Jets. Molecules 2024; 29:2744. [PMID: 38930810 PMCID: PMC11206090 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29122744] [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: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The formation of nitrogen-containing organic interstellar molecules is of great importance to reveal chemical processes and the origin of life on Earth. Benzonitrile (BN) is one of the simplest nitrogen-containing aromatic molecules in the interstellar medium (ISM) that has been detected in recent years. Methanol (CH3OH) exists widely in interstellar space with high reactivity. Herein, we measured the infrared (IR) spectra of neutral and cationic BN-CH3OH clusters by vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Combining IR spectra with the density functional theory calculations, we reveal that the BN-CH3OH intends to form a cyclic H-bonded structure in neutral clusters. However, after the ionization of BN-CH3OH clusters, proton-shared N···H···O and N···H···C structures are confirmed to form between BN and CH3OH, with the minor coexistence of H-bond and O-π structures. The formation of the proton-shared structure expands our knowledge of the evolution of the life-related nitrogen-containing molecules in the universe and provides a possible pathway to the further study of biorelevant aromatic organic macromolecules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yongjun Hu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Spectral Analysis and Functional Probes, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhang L, Ying J. Amino acid analogues provide multiple plausible pathways to prebiotic peptides. J R Soc Interface 2024; 21:20240014. [PMID: 38715323 PMCID: PMC11077012 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2024.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Prebiotic peptide synthesis has consistently been a prominent topic within the field of the origin of life. While research predominantly centres on the 20 classical amino acids, the synthesis process encounters significant thermodynamic barriers. Consequently, amino acid analogues are being explored as potential building blocks for prebiotic peptide synthesis. This review delves into the pathway of polypeptide formation, identifying specific amino acid analogues that might have existed on early Earth, potentially participating in peptide synthesis and chemical evolution. Moreover, considering the complexity and variability of the environment on early Earth, we propose the plausibility of coevolution between amino acids and their analogues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, No. 818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianxi Ying
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, No. 818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Percot A, Mahieddine F, Yano H, Hasegawa S, Tabata M, Yamagishi A, Mita H, Paredes-Arriaga A, Maurel MC, Lambert JF, Baklouti D, Zins EL. Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) for Identifying Traces of Adenine in Organic-Bearing Extraterrestrial Dust Analogs Captured in the Tanpopo Aerogel after Hypervelocity Impacts. Gels 2024; 10:249. [PMID: 38667668 PMCID: PMC11049422 DOI: 10.3390/gels10040249] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive analytical technique for characterizing organic and inorganic materials with spatial resolution in the micrometer range. This makes it a method of choice for space-mission sample characterization, whether on return or in situ. To enhance its sensitivity, we use signal amplification via interaction with plasmonic silver-based colloids, which corresponds to surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this study, we focus on the analysis of biomolecules of prebiotic interest on extraterrestrial dust trapped in silica aerogel, jointly with the Japanese Tanpopo mission. The aim is twofold: to prepare samples as close as possible to the real ones, and to optimize analysis by SERS for this specific context. Serpentinite was chosen as the inorganic matrix and adenine as the target biomolecule. The dust was projected at high velocity into the trapping aerogel and then mechanically extracted. A quantitative study shows effective detection even for adenine doping from a 5·10-9mol/L solution. After the dust has been expelled from the aerogel using a solvent, SERS mapping enables unambiguous adenine detection over the entire dust surface. This study shows the potential of SERS as a key technique not only for return samples, but also for upcoming new explorations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aline Percot
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS MONARIS UMR8233, 75005 Paris, France; (F.M.); (E.-L.Z.)
| | - Farah Mahieddine
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS MONARIS UMR8233, 75005 Paris, France; (F.M.); (E.-L.Z.)
| | - Hajime Yano
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara 252-5210, Japan; (H.Y.)
| | - Sunao Hasegawa
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara 252-5210, Japan; (H.Y.)
| | - Makoto Tabata
- Department of Physics, Chiba University, Chiba 263-8522, Japan;
| | - Akihiko Yamagishi
- Department of Applied Life Science, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachiojishi 192-0392, Japan;
| | - Hajime Mita
- Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Wajiro-higashi, Fukuoka 811-0295, Japan;
| | - Alejandro Paredes-Arriaga
- Posgrado en Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Cd. Universitaria, Coyoacán, C.P, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
- Laboratorio de Evolución Química, Departamento de Química de Radiaciones y Radioquímica, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior S/N, Cd. Universitaria, Coyoacán, C.P, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Marie-Christine Maurel
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité( ISYEB), Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 51, 75005 Paris, France;
| | - Jean-François Lambert
- Laboratoire d’Archéologie Moléculaire et Structurale, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 8220, 75005 Paris, France;
| | - Donia Baklouti
- Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Emilie-Laure Zins
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS MONARIS UMR8233, 75005 Paris, France; (F.M.); (E.-L.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Timoumi R, Amaniampong P, Le Postollec A, Dobrijevic M, Rioland G, Gregoire B, Poinot P, Rodier CG. Ultrasound assisted extraction of amino acids and nucleobases from clay minerals and astrobiological samples. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2024; 103:106775. [PMID: 38278041 PMCID: PMC10837085 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2024.106775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
The study of organic molecules in meteorite and return samples allows for the understanding of the chemistry that undergoes in our Solar System. The present work aims at studying ultrasound assisted extraction technique as effective extraction method for these molecules in extraterrestrial samples and analogs. Optimal conditions were selected from the investigation of ultrasonic frequency, irradiation duration and solvent effects on amino acids, nucleobases and dipeptides extraction yields from a model clay-rich mineral matrix. Optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction parameters were frequency of 20 kHz within 20 min irradiation time and methanol/water solvent ratio of 1. We then validated this protocol on Mukundpura and Tarda meteorite fragments and compared it to the reference extraction protocol used in astrobiology and based on 24 h extraction time at 100 °C in water We obtained similar quantitative results without any racemization with both methodologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ramzi Timoumi
- UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9, France
| | - Prince Amaniampong
- UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9, France
| | - Aurelie Le Postollec
- University of Bordeaux, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), UMR CNRS 5804, Bâtiment B18N Allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, 33615 Pessac CEDEX, France
| | - Michel Dobrijevic
- University of Bordeaux, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), UMR CNRS 5804, Bâtiment B18N Allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, 33615 Pessac CEDEX, France
| | - Guillaume Rioland
- Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), Service Laboratoires & Expertise, 18 Avenue Edouard Belin, CEDEX 9, 61401 Toulouse, France
| | - Brian Gregoire
- UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), 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), University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9, France
| | - Claude Geffroy Rodier
- UMR CNRS 7285, Institut de Chimie des Milieux et Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), University of Poitiers, 4 rue Michel-Brunet, TSA 51106, 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9, France.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Aguilar-Alarcón P, Gonzalez SV, Mikkelsen Ø, Asimakopoulos AG. Molecular formula assignment of dissolved organic matter by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry using two non-targeted data processing approaches: A case study from recirculating aquaculture systems. Anal Chim Acta 2024; 1288:342128. [PMID: 38220272 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.342128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The accumulation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) poses an issue in the management of the water quality from recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), but its characterization is often not detailed enough to understand the DOM transformations in RAS. In this study, we investigated the application of two distinct non-targeted data processing approaches using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS) and two software with different algorithmic designs: PetroOrg and Progenesis QI to accurately characterize the molecular composition of DOM in RAS by UPLC-QTOF-MS. RESULTS The UPLC-QTOF-MS resolution in combination with PetroOrg and Progenesis QI software successfully assigned 912 and 106 unique elemental compositions, respectively, including compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (CHO) and nitrogen-containing CHO compounds (CHON), in the DOM samples from RAS. The results of these two distinct data processing approaches were consistent with the list of DOM formulas from RAS identified by higher resolution mass spectrometry techniques confirming their reliability. PetroOrg approach revealed only compositional information in the DOM samples from RAS, while Progenesis QI in addition to identifying new elemental compositions, increased their chemical space by giving information about their polarity and their possible key structures. DOM samples from RAS were found to be rich in unsaturated CHO compounds, with tentatively key structures of terpenoids with medium polarity indicating natural origins in their composition. The analysis also revealed probable structures of sucrose fatty acid esters and polyethylene glycol, indicating anthropogenic sources. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY The combination of these two non-targeted data processing approaches significantly improves the characterization of the complex mixture of DOM from RAS by UPLC-QTOF-MS reporting for the first time accurate DOM results in terms of its composition, while proposing its key structures. The presented methods can also be used to analyze different DOM samples with other HRMS techniques and software.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Aguilar-Alarcón
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 1, 7491, Trondheim, Norway; Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, H2O Building, C/Emili Grahit, 101, E17003, Girona, Spain; University of Girona, 17071, Girona, Spain.
| | - Susana V Gonzalez
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 1, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Øyvind Mikkelsen
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 1, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Alexandros G Asimakopoulos
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 1, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Pross A, Pascal R. On the Emergence of Autonomous Chemical Systems through Dissipation Kinetics. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2171. [PMID: 38004311 PMCID: PMC10672272 DOI: 10.3390/life13112171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
This work addresses the kinetic requirements for compensating the entropic cost of self-organization and natural selection, thereby revealing a fundamental principle in biology. Metabolic and evolutionary features of life cannot therefore be separated from an origin of life perspective. Growth, self-organization, evolution and dissipation processes need to be metabolically coupled and fueled by low-entropy energy harvested from the environment. The evolutionary process requires a reproduction cycle involving out-of-equilibrium intermediates and kinetic barriers that prevent the reproductive cycle from proceeding in reverse. Model analysis leads to the unexpectedly simple relationship that the system should be fed energy with a potential exceeding a value related to the ratio of the generation time to the transition state lifetime, thereby enabling a process mimicking natural selection to take place. Reproducing life's main features, in particular its Darwinian behavior, therefore requires satisfying constraints that relate to time and energy. Irreversible reaction cycles made only of unstable entities reproduce some of these essential features, thereby offering a physical/chemical basis for the possible emergence of autonomy. Such Emerging Autonomous Systems (EASs) are found to be capable of maintaining and reproducing their kind through the transmission of a stable kinetic state, thereby offering a physical/chemical basis for what could be deemed an epigenetic process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Addy Pross
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er-Sheva 8410501, Israel;
| | - Robert Pascal
- PIIM, Institut Origines, Aix-Marseille Université—CNRS, Service 232, Saint Jérôme, Ave Escadrille Normandie Niemen, 13013 Marseille, France
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Schmitt-Kopplin P, Hertkorn N, Harir M, Moritz F, Lucio M, Bonal L, Quirico E, Takano Y, Dworkin JP, Naraoka H, Tachibana S, Nakamura T, Noguchi T, Okazaki R, Yabuta H, Yurimoto H, Sakamoto K, Yada T, Nishimura M, Nakato A, Miyazaki A, Yogata K, Abe M, Usui T, Yoshikawa M, Saiki T, Tanaka S, Terui F, Nakazawa S, Okada T, Watanabe SI, Tsuda Y. Soluble organic matter Molecular atlas of Ryugu reveals cold hydrothermalism on C-type asteroid parent body. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6525. [PMID: 37845217 PMCID: PMC10579312 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42075-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The sample from the near-Earth carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu is analyzed in the context of carbonaceous meteorites soluble organic matter. The analysis of soluble molecules of samples collected by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft shines light on an extremely high molecular diversity on the C-type asteroid. Sequential solvent extracts of increasing polarity of Ryugu samples are analyzed using mass spectrometry with complementary ionization methods and structural information confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Here we show a continuum in the molecular size and polarity, and no organomagnesium molecules are detected, reflecting a low temperature and water-rich environment on the parent body approving earlier mineralogical and chemical data. High abundance of sulfidic and nitrogen rich compounds as well as high abundance of ammonium ions confirm the water processing. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are also detected in a structural continuum of carbon saturations and oxidations, implying multiple origins of the observed organic complexity, thus involving generic processes such as earlier carbonization and serpentinization with successive low temperature aqueous alteration.
Collapse
Grants
- This research is partly supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) under KAKENHI grant numbers; JP20H00202, JP20H05846, JP20K20485, JP20K14549, JP21J00504, JP21H01203, and JP21H04501, and JP21KK0062. J.P.D., J.C.A., E.T.P., D.P.G., H.L.M., J.E.E., and H.V.G. are grateful to NASA for support of the Consortium for Hayabusa2 Analysis of Organic Solubles. Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – Project-ID 364653263 – TRR 235 (CRC 235)
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin
- Technische Universität München, Analytische Lebensmittel Chemie, Maximus-von-Forum 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.
- Helmholtz Munich, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Ingolstaedter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Gießebachstraße 1, 85748, Garching bei München, Germany.
| | - Norbert Hertkorn
- Helmholtz Munich, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Ingolstaedter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Mourad Harir
- Helmholtz Munich, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Ingolstaedter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Franco Moritz
- Helmholtz Munich, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Ingolstaedter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Marianna Lucio
- Helmholtz Munich, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Ingolstaedter Landstraße 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Lydie Bonal
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CNES, IPAG, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Eric Quirico
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CNES, IPAG, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Yoshinori Takano
- Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Jason P Dworkin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 20771, USA
| | - Hiroshi Naraoka
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Nishiku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Shogo Tachibana
- Tokyo Organization for Planetary and Space Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Tomoki Nakamura
- Department of Earth Material Science, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Takaaki Noguchi
- Division of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Ryuji Okazaki
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Nishiku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Hikaru Yabuta
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan
| | - Hisayoshi Yurimoto
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Kanako Sakamoto
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Toru Yada
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nishimura
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Aiko Nakato
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Akiko Miyazaki
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Kasumi Yogata
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Masanao Abe
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Usui
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Makoto Yoshikawa
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Takanao Saiki
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tanaka
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Fuyuto Terui
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Satoru Nakazawa
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Tatsuaki Okada
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| | - Sei-Ichiro Watanabe
- Graduate School of Environment Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Yuichi Tsuda
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Chen X, Wei C, Xie M, Hu Y. Single-Photon Ionization Induced New Covalent Bond Formation in Acrylonitrile(AN)-Pyrrole(Py) Clusters. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:8272-8279. [PMID: 37769120 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c02481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
The formation of nitrogen-containing organic compounds is crucial for understanding chemical evolution and the origin of life in the interstellar medium (ISM). In this study, we explore whether acrylonitrile (AN) and pyrrole (Py) can form new nitrogen-containing compounds after single-photon ionization in their gaseous clusters by vacuum ultraviolet (VUV)-infrared (IR) spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. The results show that a strong linear H-bond is formed in neutral AN-Py, while cyclic or bicyclic H-bonded networks are formed in the neutral AN-Py2 cluster. It is found that the structure containing a new C-C covalent bond between two moieties in (AN-Py)+ is formed besides the formation of H-bonded structures after AN-Py is ionized by VUV light. In (AN-Py2)+ cluster cations, new C-C or C-N covalent bonds tend to be formed between two Py, with (Py)2+ as the core in the cluster. The results reveal that new covalent bonds are more likely to be formed between two Py species when AN and Py are present in the cationic clusters. These results provide spectroscopic evidence of the formation of new nitrogen-containing organic compounds from AN and Py induced by VUV, which are helpful for our understanding of the formation of diverse prebiotic molecules in interstellar space.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xujian Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Spectral Analysis and Functional Probes, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Chengcheng Wei
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Spectral Analysis and Functional Probes, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Min Xie
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Spectral Analysis and Functional Probes, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yongjun Hu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Spectral Analysis and Functional Probes, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Cleaves HJ, Hystad G, Prabhu A, Wong ML, Cody GD, Economon S, Hazen RM. A robust, agnostic molecular biosignature based on machine learning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2307149120. [PMID: 37748080 PMCID: PMC10576141 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307149120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The search for definitive biosignatures-unambiguous markers of past or present life-is a central goal of paleobiology and astrobiology. We used pyrolysis-gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to analyze chemically disparate samples, including living cells, geologically processed fossil organic material, carbon-rich meteorites, and laboratory-synthesized organic compounds and mixtures. Data from each sample were employed as training and test subsets for machine-learning methods, which resulted in a model that can identify the biogenicity of both contemporary and ancient geologically processed samples with ~90% accuracy. These machine-learning methods do not rely on precise compound identification: Rather, the relational aspects of chromatographic and mass peaks provide the needed information, which underscores this method's utility for detecting alien biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H. James Cleaves
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC20015
- Earth Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo152-8550, Japan
- Blue Marble Space Institute for Science, Seattle, WA98104
| | - Grethe Hystad
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, IN46323
| | - Anirudh Prabhu
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC20015
| | - Michael L. Wong
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC20015
- Sagan Fellow, NASA Hubble Fellowship Program, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD21218
| | - George D. Cody
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC20015
| | - Sophia Economon
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21218
| | - Robert M. Hazen
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC20015
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Enya K, Yamagishi A, Kobayashi K, Yoshimura Y, Tasker EJ. A Comparative Study of Methods for Detecting Extraterrestrial Life in Exploration Missions to Mars and the Solar System II: Targeted Characteristics, Detection Techniques, and Their Combination for Survey, Detection, and Analysis. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:1099-1117. [PMID: 37768711 PMCID: PMC10616949 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
We present a comparative study of the methods used in the search for extraterrestrial microorganism life, including a summary table where different life-detection techniques can be easily compared as an aid to mission and instrument design aimed at life detection. This is an extension of previous study, where detection techniques for a series of target characteristics and molecules that could constitute a positive life detection were evaluated. This comparison has been extended with a particular consideration to sources of false positives, the causes of negative detection, the results of detection techniques when presented regarding terrestrial life, and additional science objectives that could be achieved outside the primary aim of detecting life. These additions address both the scientific and programmatic side of exploration mission design, where a successful proposal must demonstrate probable outcomes and be able to return valuable results even if no life is found. The applicability of the life detection techniques is considered for Earth life, Earth-independent life (life emerging independently from that on Earth,) and Earth-kin life (sharing a common ancestor with life on Earth), and techniques effective in detecting Earth life should also be useful in the detection of Earth-kin life. However, their applicability is not guaranteed for Earth-independent life. As found in our previous study, there exists no realistic single detection method that can conclusively determine the discovery of extraterrestrial life, and no method is superior to all others. In this study, we further consider combinations of detection techniques and identify imaging as a valuable addition to molecule detection methods, even in cases where there is insufficient resolution to observe the detailed morphology of a microbial cell. The search for extraterrestrial life is further divided into a survey-and-detection and analysis-and-conclusion step. These steps benefit from different detection techniques, but imaging is necessary for both parts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keigo Enya
- Department of Solar System Sciences, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
- Space and Astronautical Science, Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Hayama, Japan
| | - Akihiko Yamagishi
- Department of Applied Life Science, School of Life Science, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kensei Kobayashi
- Department of Chemistry, Yokohama National University, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Elizabeth J. Tasker
- Department of Solar System Sciences, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan
- Space and Astronautical Science, Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Hayama, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Carr CE, Ramírez-Colón JL, Duzdevich D, Lee S, Taniguchi M, Ohshiro T, Komoto Y, Soderblom JM, Zuber MT. Solid-State Single-Molecule Sensing with the Electronic Life-Detection Instrument for Enceladus/Europa (ELIE). ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:1056-1070. [PMID: 37782210 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0119] [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: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence of the potential habitability of Ocean Worlds across our solar system is motivating the advancement of technologies capable of detecting life as we know it-sharing a common ancestry or physicochemical origin with life on Earth-or don't know it, representing a distinct emergence of life different than our one known example. Here, we propose the Electronic Life-detection Instrument for Enceladus/Europa (ELIE), a solid-state single-molecule instrument payload that aims to search for life based on the detection of amino acids and informational polymers (IPs) at the parts per billion to trillion level. As a first proof-of-principle in a laboratory environment, we demonstrate the single-molecule detection of the amino acid L-proline at a 10 μM concentration in a compact system. Based on ELIE's solid-state quantum electronic tunneling sensing mechanism, we further propose the quantum property of the HOMO-LUMO gap (energy difference between a molecule's highest energy-occupied molecular orbital and lowest energy-unoccupied molecular orbital) as a novel metric to assess amino acid complexity. Finally, we assess the potential of ELIE to discriminate between abiotically and biotically derived α-amino acid abundance distributions to reduce the false positive risk for life detection. Nanogap technology can also be applied to the detection of nucleobases and short sequences of IPs such as, but not limited to, RNA and DNA. Future missions may utilize ELIE to target preserved biosignatures on the surface of Mars, extant life in its deep subsurface, or life or its biosignatures in a plume, surface, or subsurface of ice moons such as Enceladus or Europa. One-Sentence Summary: A solid-state nanogap can determine the abundance distribution of amino acids, detect nucleic acids, and shows potential for detecting life as we know it and life as we don't know it.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E Carr
- Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - José L Ramírez-Colón
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Daniel Duzdevich
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Molecular Biology, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Current address: Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sam Lee
- MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Masateru Taniguchi
- Osaka University, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takahito Ohshiro
- Osaka University, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuki Komoto
- Osaka University, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka, Japan
| | - Jason M Soderblom
- MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - M T Zuber
- MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Yoshimura T, Takano Y, Naraoka H, Koga T, Araoka D, Ogawa NO, Schmitt-Kopplin P, Hertkorn N, Oba Y, Dworkin JP, Aponte JC, Yoshikawa T, Tanaka S, Ohkouchi N, Hashiguchi M, McLain H, Parker ET, Sakai S, Yamaguchi M, Suzuki T, Yokoyama T, Yurimoto H, Nakamura T, Noguchi T, Okazaki R, Yabuta H, Sakamoto K, Yada T, Nishimura M, Nakato A, Miyazaki A, Yogata K, Abe M, Okada T, Usui T, Yoshikawa M, Saiki T, Tanaka S, Terui F, Nakazawa S, Watanabe SI, Tsuda Y, Tachibana S. Chemical evolution of primordial salts and organic sulfur molecules in the asteroid 162173 Ryugu. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5284. [PMID: 37723151 PMCID: PMC10507048 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40871-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Samples from the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu provide information on the chemical evolution of organic molecules in the early solar system. Here we show the element partitioning of the major component ions by sequential extractions of salts, carbonates, and phyllosilicate-bearing fractions to reveal primordial brine composition of the primitive asteroid. Sodium is the dominant electrolyte of the salt fraction extract. Anions and NH4+ are more abundant in the salt fraction than in the carbonate and phyllosilicate fractions, with molar concentrations in the order SO42- > Cl- > S2O32- > NO3- > NH4+. The salt fraction extracts contain anionic soluble sulfur-bearing species such as Sn-polythionic acids (n < 6), Cn-alkylsulfonates, alkylthiosulfonates, hydroxyalkylsulfonates, and hydroxyalkylthiosulfonates (n < 7). The sulfur-bearing soluble compounds may have driven the molecular evolution of prebiotic organic material transforming simple organic molecules into hydrophilic, amphiphilic, and refractory S allotropes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toshihiro Yoshimura
- Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Natsushima 2-15, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan.
| | - Yoshinori Takano
- Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Natsushima 2-15, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Naraoka
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Toshiki Koga
- Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Natsushima 2-15, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Daisuke Araoka
- Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8567, Japan
| | - Nanako O Ogawa
- Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Natsushima 2-15, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
- Technische Universität München, Analytische Lebensmittel Chemie, Maximus-von-Forum 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Norbert Hertkorn
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Yasuhiro Oba
- Institute of Low Temperature Science (ILTS), Hokkaido University, N19W8 Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0189, Japan
| | - Jason P Dworkin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA
| | - José C Aponte
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA
| | - Takaaki Yoshikawa
- HORIBA Advanced Techno, Co., Ltd., Kisshoin, Minami-ku, Kyoto, 601-8510, Japan
| | - Satoru Tanaka
- HORIBA Techno Service Co., Ltd. Kisshoin, Minami-ku, Kyoto, 601-8510, Japan
| | - Naohiko Ohkouchi
- Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Natsushima 2-15, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Minako Hashiguchi
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Hannah McLain
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA
| | - Eric T Parker
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA
| | - Saburo Sakai
- Biogeochemistry Research Center (BGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Natsushima 2-15, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Mihoko Yamaguchi
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., 3-9 Moriyacho, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, 221-0022, Japan
| | - Takahiro Suzuki
- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., 3-9 Moriyacho, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, 221-0022, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Yokoyama
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
| | - Hisayoshi Yurimoto
- Creative Research Institution (CRIS), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0021, Japan
| | - Tomoki Nakamura
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8678, Japan
| | - Takaaki Noguchi
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Ryuji Okazaki
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Hikaru Yabuta
- Earth and Planetary Systems Science Program, Hiroshima University, Higashi Hiroshima, 739-8526, Japan
| | - Kanako Sakamoto
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Toru Yada
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nishimura
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Aiko Nakato
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Akiko Miyazaki
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Kasumi Yogata
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Masanao Abe
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Tatsuaki Okada
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Usui
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Makoto Yoshikawa
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Takanao Saiki
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tanaka
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Fuyuto Terui
- Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Atsugi, 243-0292, Japan
| | - Satoru Nakazawa
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Sei-Ichiro Watanabe
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Yuichi Tsuda
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
| | - Shogo Tachibana
- Institute of Space and Astro-nautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510, Japan
- UTokyo Organization for Planetary and Space Science (UTOPS), University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Chaouche-Mechidal N, Stalport F, Caupos E, Mebold E, Azémard C, Szopa C, Coll P, Cottin H. Effects of UV and Calcium Perchlorates on Uracil Deposited on Strontium Fluoride Substrates at Mars Pressure and Temperature. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:959-978. [PMID: 37672714 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0137] [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: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Organic matter is actively searched on Mars with current and future space missions as it is a key to detecting potential biosignatures. Given the current harsh environmental conditions at the surface of Mars, many organic compounds might not be preserved over a long period as they are exposed to energetic radiation such as ultraviolet light, which is not filtered above 190 nm by the martian atmosphere. Moreover, the presence of strong oxidizing species in the regolith, such as perchlorate salts, might enhance the photodegradation of organic compounds of astrobiological interest. Because current space instruments analyze samples collected in the upper surface layer, it is necessary to investigate the stability of organic matter at the surface of Mars. Previous experimental studies have shown that uracil, a molecule relevant to astrobiology, is quickly photolyzed when exposed to UV radiation under the temperature and pressure conditions of the martian surface with an experimental quantum efficiency of photodecomposition (φexp) of 0.30 ± 0.26 molecule·photon-1. Moreover, the photolysis of uracil leads to the formation of more stable photoproducts that were identified as uracil dimers. The present work aims to characterize the additional effect of calcium perchlorate detected on Mars on the degradation of uracil. Results show that the presence of calcium perchlorate enhances the photodecomposition of uracil with φexp = 12.3 ± 8.3 molecule·photon-1. Although some of the photoproducts formed during these experiments are common to those formed from pure uracil only, the Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) detection of previously unseen chemical functions such as alkyne C ≡ C or nitrile C ≡ N has shown that additional chemical species are formed in the presence of calcium perchlorate in the irradiated sample. This implies that the effect of calcium perchlorate on the photolysis of uracil is not only kinetic but also related to the nature of the photoproducts formed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N Chaouche-Mechidal
- Univ Paris Est Creteil and Université Paris Cité, CNRS, LISA, F-94010 Créteil, France
| | - F Stalport
- Université Paris Cité and Univ Paris Est Creteil, CNRS, LISA, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - E Caupos
- Univ Paris Est Creteil and Université Paris Cité, CNRS, LISA, F-94010 Créteil, France
- Ecole des Ponts, LEESU, F-77455 Champs-sur-Marne, France
| | - E Mebold
- Univ Paris Est Creteil, CNRS, OSU-EFLUVE, F-94010 Créteil, France
| | - C Azémard
- Univ Paris Est Creteil and Université Paris Cité, CNRS, LISA, F-94010 Créteil, France
| | - C Szopa
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 78280 Guyancourt, France
| | - P Coll
- Université Paris Cité and Univ Paris Est Creteil, CNRS, LISA, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - H Cottin
- Univ Paris Est Creteil and Université Paris Cité, CNRS, LISA, F-94010 Créteil, France
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Garcia A, Serra C, Remaury QB, Garcia AD, Righezza M, Meinert C, Poinot P, Danger G. Gas chromatography coupled-to Fourier transform orbitrap mass spectrometer for enantioselective amino acid analyses: Application to pre-cometary organic analog. J Chromatogr A 2023; 1704:464118. [PMID: 37315448 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464118] [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: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Gas chromatography (GC) is a separation technique commonly developed for targeted in situ analyses in planetary space missions. It is coupled with low-resolution mass spectrometry to obtain additional structural information and allow compound identification. However, ground-based analyses of extraterrestrial samples have shown the presence of large molecular diversities. For future targeted in situ analyses, it is therefore essential to develop new technologies. High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) is currently being spatialized using FT-orbitrap-MS technology. In this contribution, the coupling of gas chromatography with FT-orbitrap-MS is studied for targeted amino acid analyses. The method for enantioselective separation of amino acids was optimized on a standard mixture comprising 47 amino acid enantiomers. Different ionization modes were optimized, chemical ionization with three different reactive gasses (NH3, CH4 and NH3/CH4) and electron impact ionization at different electron energies. Single ion and full scan monitoring modes were compared, and detection and quantification limits were estimated by internal calibration under the optimized conditions. The GC-FT-orbitrap-MS demonstrated its ability to separate 47 amino acid enantiomers with minimal co-elution. Furthermore, due to the high mass resolution and accuracy of FT-orbitrap-MS, with mass extraction, the S/N is close to zero, allowing average LOD values of 10⁻7 M, orders of magnitude lower than conventional GC-MS techniques. Finally, these conditions were tested for enantioselective analysis of amino acids on an analog of a pre-cometary organic material showing similarities to that of extraterrestrial materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Garcia
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut Origines, Laboratoire PIIM, Marseille, France
| | - C Serra
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut Origines, Laboratoire PIIM, Marseille, France; 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
| | - Q 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
| | - A D Garcia
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272 CNRS, F-06108 Nice, France
| | - M Righezza
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut Origines, Laboratoire PIIM, Marseille, France
| | - C Meinert
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272 CNRS, F-06108 Nice, France
| | - P 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
| | - G Danger
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut Origines, Laboratoire PIIM, Marseille, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), France.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
He C, Kaiser RI, Lu W, Ahmed M, Krasnoukhov VS, Pivovarov PS, Zagidullin MV, Azyazov VN, Morozov AN, Mebel AM. Unconventional gas-phase preparation of the prototype polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon naphthalene (C 10H 8) via the reaction of benzyl (C 7H 7) and propargyl (C 3H 3) radicals coupled with hydrogen-atom assisted isomerization. Chem Sci 2023; 14:5369-5378. [PMID: 37234886 PMCID: PMC10208037 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc00911d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous in the interstellar medium and in meteorites such as Murchison and Allende and signify the missing link between resonantly stabilized free radicals and carbonaceous nanoparticles (soot particles, interstellar grains). However, the predicted lifetime of interstellar PAHs of some 108 years imply that PAHs should not exist in extraterrestrial environments suggesting that key mechanisms of their formation are elusive. Exploiting a microchemical reactor and coupling these data with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and kinetic modeling, we reveal through an isomer selective product detection that the reaction of the resonantly stabilized benzyl and the propargyl radicals synthesizes the simplest representative of PAHs - the 10π Hückel aromatic naphthalene (C10H8) molecule - via the novel Propargyl Addition-BenzAnnulation (PABA) mechanism. The gas-phase preparation of naphthalene affords a versatile concept of the reaction of combustion and astronomically abundant propargyl radicals with aromatic radicals carrying the radical center at the methylene moiety as a previously passed over source of aromatics in high temperature environments thus bringing us closer to an understanding of the aromatic universe we live in.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao He
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Honolulu HI 96822 USA
| | - Ralf I Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Honolulu HI 96822 USA
| | - Wenchao Lu
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA 94720 USA
| | - Musahid Ahmed
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA 94720 USA
| | - Vladislav S Krasnoukhov
- Lebedev Physical Institute Samara 443011 Russian Federation
- Samara National Research University Samara 443086 Russian Federation
| | - Pavel S Pivovarov
- Samara National Research University Samara 443086 Russian Federation
| | | | | | - Alexander N Morozov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University Miami Florida 33199 USA
| | - Alexander M Mebel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University Miami Florida 33199 USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Ni Z, Arevalo R, Bardyn A, Willhite L, Ray S, Southard A, Danell R, Graham J, Li X, Chou L, Briois C, Thirkell L, Makarov A, Brinckerhoff W, Eigenbrode J, Junge K, Nunn BL. Detection of Short Peptides as Putative Biosignatures of Psychrophiles via Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometry. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:657-669. [PMID: 37134219 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Studies of psychrophilic life on Earth provide chemical clues as to how extraterrestrial life could maintain viability in cryogenic environments. If living systems in ocean worlds (e.g., Enceladus) share a similar set of 3-mer and 4-mer peptides to the psychrophile Colwellia psychrerythraea on Earth, spaceflight technologies and analytical methods need to be developed to detect and sequence these putative biosignatures. We demonstrate that laser desorption mass spectrometry, as implemented by the CORALS spaceflight prototype instrument, enables the detection of protonated peptides, their dimers, and metal adducts. The addition of silicon nanoparticles promotes the ionization efficiency, improves mass resolving power and mass accuracies via reduction of metastable decay, and facilitates peptide de novo sequencing. The CORALS instrument, which integrates a pulsed UV laser source and an Orbitrap™ mass analyzer capable of ultrahigh mass resolving powers and mass accuracies, represents an emerging technology for planetary exploration and a pathfinder for advanced technique development for astrobiological objectives. Teaser: Current spaceflight prototype instrument proposed to visit ocean worlds can detect and sequence peptides that are found enriched in at least one strain of microbe surviving in subzero icy brines via silicon nanoparticle-assisted laser desorption analysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziqin Ni
- University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Anais Bardyn
- University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Soumya Ray
- University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Ryan Danell
- Danell Consulting, Winterville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jacob Graham
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - Xiang Li
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - Luoth Chou
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Christelle Briois
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace, Orléans, France
| | - Laurent Thirkell
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace, Orléans, France
| | | | | | | | - Karen Junge
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Brook L Nunn
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Jin J, Xie C, Gao J, Wang H, Zhang J, Zhao Y, Gao M, Ma J, Wang Z, Guan J. Elucidating the toluene formation mechanism in the reaction of propargyl radical with 1,3-butadiene. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:13136-13144. [PMID: 37129089 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp01061a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Toluene is one of the simplest mono-substituted benzene derivatives and an important precursor to form polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and soot. However, there is a lack of critical understanding of the formation mechanisms of the toluene molecule. In this work, we explore high-temperature reactions of propargyl radical addition to 1,3-butadiene in a tubular flow microreactor. We obtain experimental evidence for the distinct formations of three C7H8 isomers consisting of toluene, 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene, and 5-methylene-1,3-cyclohexadiene discriminated by synchrotron VUV photoionization efficiency curves. Toluene is identified as the dominant product, which shows strong contrast with the calculated results of the system. By performing theoretical calculations and kinetic simulations, we found that 5-methylene-1,3-cyclohexadiene is a key product of the primary reaction, and toluene formation is enhanced by unavoidable secondary reactions, such as unimolecular isomerization and/or H-assisted isomerization reactions in the SiC microreactor. The current work provides competitive pathways for the enhanced formation of toluene, and may further help disentangle the toluene-promoted molecular growth mechanism of PAHs in combustion environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianhui Jin
- School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, P. R. China.
| | - Cheng Xie
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230029, P. R. China.
| | - Jiao Gao
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
| | - Hong Wang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230029, P. R. China.
| | - Jinyang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
| | - Yujie Zhao
- School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, P. R. China.
| | - Min Gao
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 102488, P. R. China
| | - Jiabi Ma
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 102488, P. R. China
| | - Zhandong Wang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230029, P. R. China.
- State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
| | - Jiwen Guan
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230029, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Sepulveda RV, Sbarbaro C, Opazo MC, Duarte Y, González-Nilo F, Aguayo D. Insights into Early Steps of Decanoic Acid Self-Assemblies under Prebiotic Temperatures Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:membranes13050469. [PMID: 37233530 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13050469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The origin of life possibly required processes in confined systems that facilitated simple chemical reactions and other more complex reactions impossible to achieve under the condition of infinite dilution. In this context, the self-assembly of micelles or vesicles derived from prebiotic amphiphilic molecules is a cornerstone in the chemical evolution pathway. A prime example of these building blocks is decanoic acid, a short-chain fatty acid capable of self-assembling under ambient conditions. This study explored a simplified system made of decanoic acids under temperatures ranging from 0 °C to 110 °C to replicate prebiotic conditions. The study revealed the first point of aggregation of decanoic acid into vesicles and examined the insertion of a prebiotic-like peptide in a primitive bilayer. The information gathered from this research provides critical insights into molecule interactions with primitive membranes, allowing us to understand the first nanometric compartments needed to trigger further reactions that were essential for the origin of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romina V Sepulveda
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Av. República 330, Santiago 8370146, Chile
| | - Christopher Sbarbaro
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Av. República 330, Santiago 8370146, Chile
| | - Ma Cecilia Opazo
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Agronomía, Universidad de Las Américas, Manuel Montt 948, Providencia 7500000, Chile
| | - Yorley Duarte
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Av. República 330, Santiago 8370146, Chile
| | - Fernando González-Nilo
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Av. República 330, Santiago 8370146, Chile
| | - Daniel Aguayo
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Av. República 330, Santiago 8370146, Chile
- Agricultura Digital, Servicio Agrícola, Salinas y Fabres S.A., Ruta 5 Sur, Parcela 165, Hijuela Larga, Paine 9540000, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Fontecilla-Camps JC. Reflections on the Origin and Early Evolution of the Genetic Code. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300048. [PMID: 37052530 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Examination of the genetic code (GeCo) reveals that amino acids coded by (A/U) codons display a large functional spectrum and bind RNA whereas, except for Arg, those coded by (G/C) codons do not. From a stereochemical viewpoint, the clear preference for (A/U)-rich codons to be located at the GeCo half blocks suggests they were specifically determined. Conversely, the overall lower affinity of cognate amino acids for their (G/C)-rich anticodons points to their late arrival to the GeCo. It is proposed that i) initially the code was composed of the eight (A/U) codons; ii) these codons were duplicated when G/C nucleotides were added to their wobble positions, and three new codons with G/C in their first position were incorporated; and iii) a combination of A/U and G/C nucleotides progressively generated the remaining codons.
Collapse
|
27
|
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: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Schmitt-Kopplin P, Matzka M, Ruf A, Menez B, Chennaoui Aoudjehane H, Harir M, Lucio M, Hertzog J, Hertkorn N, Gougeon RD, Hoffmann V, Hinman NW, Ferrière L, Greshake A, Gabelica Z, Trif L, Steele A. Complex carbonaceous matter in Tissint martian meteorites give insights into the diversity of organic geochemistry on Mars. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd6439. [PMID: 36630504 PMCID: PMC9833655 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add6439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We report a huge organic diversity in the Tissint Mars meteorite and the sampling of several mineralogical lithologies, which revealed that the organic molecules were nonuniformly distributed in functionality and abundance. The range of organics in Tissint meteorite were abundant C3-7 aliphatic branched carboxylic acids and aldehydes, olefins, and polyaromatics with and without heteroatoms in a homologous oxidation structural continuum. Organomagnesium compounds were extremely abundant in olivine macrocrystals and in the melt veins, reflecting specific organo-synsthesis processes in close interaction with the magnesium silicates and temperature stresses, as previously observed. The diverse chemistry and abundance in complex molecules reveal heterogeneity in organic speciation within the minerals grown in the martian mantle and crust that may have evolved over geological time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin
- Technische Universität München, Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, Freising-Weihenstephan 85354, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Center for Astrochemical Studies, Garching 85748, Germany
- Helmholtz München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Marco Matzka
- Helmholtz München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Alexander Ruf
- Technische Universität München, Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, Freising-Weihenstephan 85354, Germany
- Excellence Cluster ORIGINS, Boltzmannstraße 2, Garching 85748, Germany
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Butenandtstr. 5-13, Munich 81377, Germany
| | - Benedicte Menez
- Université de Paris, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS - 1, rue Jussieu, Paris Cedex 05 75238, France
| | - Hasnaa Chennaoui Aoudjehane
- Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, GAIA Laboratory, Hassan II University of Casablanca, km 8 Route d’El Jadida, Casablanca 20150, Morocco
| | - Mourad Harir
- Helmholtz München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Marianna Lucio
- Helmholtz München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Jasmine Hertzog
- Technische Universität München, Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, Freising-Weihenstephan 85354, Germany
- Helmholtz München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Norbert Hertkorn
- Helmholtz München, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
| | - Régis D. Gougeon
- UMR Procédés Alimentaires et Microbiologiques, Université de Bourgogne/AgroSupDijon, Institut Universitaire de la Vigne et du Vin Jules Guyot, Dijon 21000, France
| | - Victor Hoffmann
- Faculty of Geosciences, Dep. Geo- and Environmental Sciences, LMU, Muenchen, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Zelimir Gabelica
- Université de Haute Alsace, École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Mulhouse, F-68094 Mulhouse Cedex, France
| | - László Trif
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andrew Steele
- Earth and Planetary Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5251 Broad Branch Rd., Washington, DC 20015, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Westall F, Brack A, Fairén AG, Schulte MD. Setting the geological scene for the origin of life and continuing open questions about its emergence. FRONTIERS IN ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCES 2023; 9:1095701. [PMID: 38274407 PMCID: PMC7615569 DOI: 10.3389/fspas.2022.1095701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The origin of life is one of the most fundamental questions of humanity. It has been and is still being addressed by a wide range of researchers from different fields, with different approaches and ideas as to how it came about. What is still incomplete is constrained information about the environment and the conditions reigning on the Hadean Earth, particularly on the inorganic ingredients available, and the stability and longevity of the various environments suggested as locations for the emergence of life, as well as on the kinetics and rates of the prebiotic steps leading to life. This contribution reviews our current understanding of the geological scene in which life originated on Earth, zooming in specifically on details regarding the environments and timescales available for prebiotic reactions, with the aim of providing experimenters with more specific constraints. Having set the scene, we evoke the still open questions about the origin of life: did life start organically or in mineralogical form? If organically, what was the origin of the organic constituents of life? What came first, metabolism or replication? What was the time-scale for the emergence of life? We conclude that the way forward for prebiotic chemistry is an approach merging geology and chemistry, i.e., far-from-equilibrium, wet-dry cycling (either subaerial exposure or dehydration through chelation to mineral surfaces) of organic reactions occurring repeatedly and iteratively at mineral surfaces under hydrothermal-like conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - André Brack
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Orléans, France
| | - Alberto G. Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
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: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Ni G, Lappan R, Hernández M, Santini T, Tomkins AG, Greening C. Functional basis of primary succession: Traits of the pioneer microbes. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:171-176. [PMID: 36309943 PMCID: PMC10098604 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gaofeng Ni
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rachael Lappan
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marcela Hernández
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom
| | - Talitha Santini
- School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew G Tomkins
- School of Earth, Atmosphere & Environment, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Chris Greening
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Madzunkova S, Nikolić D. Method for Accurate Detection of Amino Acids and Mycotoxins in Planetary Atmospheres. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:2122. [PMID: 36556487 PMCID: PMC9784085 DOI: 10.3390/life12122122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a systematic analysis of a large number of mass spectra accumulated as the number of ion fragments recorded in unit mass-to-charge detector channels. The method retrieves the abundances of detected species using an efficient deconvolution algorithm, which relies on fragment pattern recognition, mass calibration, and background correction. The abundance analysis identifies target species, amino acids, and mycotoxins through their characteristic fragmentation patterns in the presence of an increasing number of interfering species. The method offered robust and efficient retrieval of abundances of metabolic molecules in complex mixtures obscured by a wide range of toxic compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sigrid Madzunkova
- La Cañada High School, 4463 Oak Grove Dr, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011, USA
| | - Dragan Nikolić
- California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
The Effects of Iron on In Silico Simulated Abiotic Reaction Networks. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27248870. [PMID: 36558002 PMCID: PMC9787479 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Iron is one of the most abundant elements in the Universe and Earth's surfaces, and undergoes a redox change of approximately 0.77 mV in changing between its +2 and +3 states. Many contemporary terrestrial organisms are deeply connected to inorganic geochemistry via exploitation of this redox change, and iron redox reactions and catalysis are known to cause significant changes in the course of complex abiotic reactions. These observations point to the question of whether iron may have steered prebiotic chemistry during the emergence of life. Using kinetically naive in silico reaction modeling we explored the potential effects of iron ions on complex reaction networks of prebiotic interest, namely the formose reaction, the complexifying degradation reaction of pyruvic acid in water, glucose degradation, and the Maillard reaction. We find that iron ions produce significant changes in the connectivity of various known diversity-generating reaction networks of proposed prebiotic significance, generally significantly diversifying novel molecular products by ~20%, but also adding the potential for kinetic effects that could allow iron to steer prebiotic chemistry in marked ways.
Collapse
|
34
|
Ruf A, Danger G. Network Analysis Reveals Spatial Clustering and Annotation of Complex Chemical Spaces: Application to Astrochemistry. Anal Chem 2022; 94:14135-14142. [PMID: 36209417 PMCID: PMC9583070 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c01271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
How are molecules
linked to each other in complex systems?
In a
proof-of-concept study, we have developed the method mol2net (https://zenodo.org/record/7025094) to generate and analyze the molecular network of complex astrochemical
data (from high-resolution Orbitrap MS1 analysis of H2O:CH3OH:NH3 interstellar ice analogs)
in a data-driven and unsupervised manner, without any prior knowledge
about chemical reactions. The molecular network is clustered according
to the initial NH3 content and unlocked HCN, NH3, and H2O as spatially resolved key transformations. In
comparison with the PubChem database, four subsets were annotated:
(i) saturated C-backbone molecules without N, (ii) saturated N-backbone
molecules, (iii) unsaturated C-backbone molecules without N, and (iv)
unsaturated N-backbone molecules. These findings were validated with
previous results (e.g., identifying the two major graph components
as previously described N-poor and N-rich molecular groups) but with
additional information about subclustering, key transformations, and
molecular structures, and thus, the structural characterization of
large complex organic molecules in interstellar ice analogs has been
significantly refined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Ruf
- Laboratoire de Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires (PIIM), Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13013 Marseille, France
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Excellence Cluster ORIGINS, Boltzmannstraße 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Grégoire Danger
- Laboratoire de Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires (PIIM), Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS, 13013 Marseille, France
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, CNES, LAM, 13013 Marseille, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 75231 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Origins of Life Research: The Conundrum between Laboratory and Field Simulations of Messy Environments. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12091429. [PMID: 36143465 PMCID: PMC9504664 DOI: 10.3390/life12091429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Most experimental results that guide research related to the origin of life are from laboratory simulations of the early Earth conditions. In the laboratory, emphasis is placed on the purity of reagents and carefully controlled conditions, so there is a natural tendency to reject impurities and lack of control. However, life did not originate in laboratory conditions; therefore, we should take into consideration multiple factors that are likely to have contributed to the environmental complexity of the early Earth. This essay describes eight physical and biophysical factors that spontaneously resolve aqueous dispersions of ionic and organic solutes mixed with mineral particles and thereby promote specific chemical reactions required for life to begin.
Collapse
|
36
|
Graham HV, Elsila JE, Dworkin JP, Sandford SA, Aponte JC. Deuterium Isotope Fractionation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Meteorites as an Indicator of Interstellar/Protosolar Processing History. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12091368. [PMID: 36143402 PMCID: PMC9502081 DOI: 10.3390/life12091368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The stable isotope composition of soluble and insoluble organic compounds in carbonaceous chondrites can be used to determine the provenance of organic molecules in space. Deuterium enrichment in meteoritic organics could be a residual signal of synthetic reactions occurring in the cold interstellar medium or an indicator of hydrothermal parent-body reactions. δD values have been measured in grains and bulk samples for a wide range of meteorites; however, these reservoirs are highly variable and may have experienced fractionation during thermal and/or aqueous alteration. Among the plethora of organic compounds in meteorites are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are stable and abundant in carbonaceous chondrites, and their δD ratio may preserve evidence about their formation environment as well as the influence of parent-body processes. This study tests hypotheses about the potential links between PAHs-deuteration concentrations and their formation conditions by examining the δD ratio of PAHs in three CM carbonaceous chondrites representing an aqueous alteration gradient. We use deuterium enrichments in soluble 2–5-ring PAHs as an indicator of either photon-driven deuteration due to unimolecular photodissociation in warm regions of space, gas-phase ion–molecule reactions in cold interstellar regions of space, or UV photolysis in ices. We also test hypothesized reaction pathways during parent-body processing that differ between partially and fully aromatized PAHs. New methodological approaches were developed to extract small, volatile PAHs without fractionation. Our results suggest that meteoritic PAHs could have formed through reactions in cold regions, with possible overprinting of deuterium enrichment during aqueous parent-body alteration, but the data could not rule out PAH alteration in icy mantles as well.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather V. Graham
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, MS-691, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Jamie E. Elsila
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, MS-691, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Jason P. Dworkin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, MS-691, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Scott A. Sandford
- Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, MS 245-6, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Jose C. Aponte
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, MS-691, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Xie M, Sun X, Li W, Guan J, Liang Z, Hu Y. A Facile Route for the Formation of Complex Nitrogen-Containing Prebiotic Molecules in the Interstellar Medium. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:8207-8213. [PMID: 36006401 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01857] [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: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Prebiotic molecules have often been identified in the interstellar medium and meteorite samples. However, we still have only a fragmentary knowledge of the mechanism of the evolutionary process of these prebiotic molecules. With the aid of state-of-the-art vacuum ultraviolet (VUV)-infrared (IR) spectroscopy and ab initio calculations, we reveal a new pathway leading to the formation of the biorelevant molecules carrying amine groups or peptide bonds via the single-photon ionization induced Michael/cyclization reaction of acrylonitrile (AN)-alcohol heterodimer complexes in the gas phase. In the reactions, not only N-H nitrilium cations with H+-N≡C-R Lewis structure but also cyclic amine cations with a peptide bond can be formed when the AN reacts with alcohols of increasing molecular size (such as ethanol, propanol, or butanol). This study suggests the possibility of unsaturated nitriles being reduced by ionized alcohols in space, which can further drive sequential Michael addition/cyclization reactions to form more complex biorelevant molecules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Xie
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Spectral Analysis and Functional Probes, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Xiaonan Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Spectral Analysis and Functional Probes, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Weixing Li
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Songhu Rd. 2005, 200438 Shanghai, China
| | - Jiwen Guan
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230029, P. R. China
| | - Zhenhao Liang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Spectral Analysis and Functional Probes, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yongjun Hu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Spectral Analysis and Functional Probes, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Peng Z, Linderoth J, Baum DA. The hierarchical organization of autocatalytic reaction networks and its relevance to the origin of life. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010498. [PMID: 36084149 PMCID: PMC9491600 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior work on abiogenesis, the emergence of life from non-life, suggests that it requires chemical reaction networks that contain self-amplifying motifs, namely, autocatalytic cores. However, little is known about how the presence of multiple autocatalytic cores might allow for the gradual accretion of complexity on the path to life. To explore this problem, we develop the concept of a seed-dependent autocatalytic system (SDAS), which is a subnetwork that can autocatalytically self-maintain given a flux of food, but cannot be initiated by food alone. Rather, initiation of SDASs requires the transient introduction of chemical "seeds." We show that, depending on the topological relationship of SDASs in a chemical reaction network, a food-driven system can accrete complexity in a historically contingent manner, governed by rare seeding events. We develop new algorithms for detecting and analyzing SDASs in chemical reaction databases and describe parallels between multi-SDAS networks and biological ecosystems. Applying our algorithms to both an abiotic reaction network and a biochemical one, each driven by a set of simple food chemicals, we detect SDASs that are organized as trophic tiers, of which the higher tier can be seeded by relatively simple chemicals if the lower tier is already activated. This indicates that sequential activation of trophically organized SDASs by seed chemicals that are not much more complex than what already exist could be a mechanism of gradual complexification from relatively simple abiotic reactions to more complex life-like systems. Interestingly, in both reaction networks, higher-tier SDASs include chemicals that might alter emergent features of chemical systems and could serve as early targets of selection. Our analysis provides computational tools for analyzing very large chemical/biochemical reaction networks and suggests new approaches to studying abiogenesis in the lab.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Peng
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Jeff Linderoth
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - David A. Baum
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Afrin R, Chen C, Sarpa D, Sithamparam M, Yi R, Giri C, Mamajanov I, James Cleaves H, Chandru K, Jia TZ. The Effects of Dehydration Temperature and Monomer Chirality on Primitive Polyester Synthesis and Microdroplet Assembly. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.202200235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rehana Afrin
- Earth‐Life Science Institute Tokyo Institute of Technology 2‐12‐1‐IE‐1 Ookayama Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152‐8550 Japan
| | - Chen Chen
- Earth‐Life Science Institute Tokyo Institute of Technology 2‐12‐1‐IE‐1 Ookayama Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152‐8550 Japan
| | - Davide Sarpa
- The University of Southampton University Rd, Highfield Southampton SO17 1BJ UK
| | - Mahendran Sithamparam
- Space Science Centre (ANGKASA) Institute of Climate Change National University of Malaysia UKM Bangi Selangor Darul Ehsan 43650 Malaysia
| | - Ruiqin Yi
- Earth‐Life Science Institute Tokyo Institute of Technology 2‐12‐1‐IE‐1 Ookayama Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152‐8550 Japan
| | - Chaitanya Giri
- Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) Core IV‐B, Fourth Floor, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road New Delhi 110 003 India
| | - Irena Mamajanov
- Earth‐Life Science Institute Tokyo Institute of Technology 2‐12‐1‐IE‐1 Ookayama Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152‐8550 Japan
| | - H. James Cleaves
- Earth‐Life Science Institute Tokyo Institute of Technology 2‐12‐1‐IE‐1 Ookayama Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152‐8550 Japan
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science 600 1st Ave, Floor 1 Seattle WA 98104 USA
- Earth and Planets Laboratory Carnegie Institution of Washington 5241 Broad Branch Rd. Washington DC 20015 USA
| | - Kuhan Chandru
- Space Science Centre (ANGKASA) Institute of Climate Change National University of Malaysia UKM Bangi Selangor Darul Ehsan 43650 Malaysia
| | - Tony Z. Jia
- Earth‐Life Science Institute Tokyo Institute of Technology 2‐12‐1‐IE‐1 Ookayama Meguro‐ku Tokyo 152‐8550 Japan
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science 600 1st Ave, Floor 1 Seattle WA 98104 USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Xavier JC, Kauffman S. Small-molecule autocatalytic networks are universal metabolic fossils. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2022; 380:20210244. [PMID: 35599556 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2021.0244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Life and the genetic code are self-referential and so are autocatalytic networks made of simpler, small molecules. Several origins of life theories postulate autocatalytic chemical networks preceding the primordial genetic code, yet demonstration with biochemical systems is lacking. Here, small-molecule reflexively autocatalytic food-generated networks (RAFs) ranging in size from 3 to 619 reactions were found in all of 6683 prokaryotic metabolic networks searched. The average maximum RAF size is 275 reactions for a rich organic medium and 93 for a medium with a single organic cofactor, NAD. In the rich medium, all universally essential metabolites are produced with the exception of glycerol-1-p (archaeal lipid precursor), phenylalanine, histidine and arginine. The 300 most common reactions, present in at least 2732 RAFs, are mostly involved in amino acid biosynthesis and the metabolism of carbon, 2-oxocarboxylic acid and purines. ATP and NAD are central in generating network complexity, and because ATP is also one of the monomers of RNA, autocatalytic networks producing redox and energy currencies are a strong candidate niche of the origin of a primordial information-processing system. The wide distribution of small-molecule autocatalytic networks indicates that molecular reproduction may be much more prevalent in the Universe than hitherto predicted. This article is part of the theme issue 'Emergent phenomena in complex physical and socio-technical systems: from cells to societies'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joana C Xavier
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Müller UF, Elsila J, Trail D, DasGupta S, Giese CC, Walton CR, Cohen ZR, Stolar T, Krishnamurthy R, Lyons TW, Rogers KL, Williams LD. Frontiers in Prebiotic Chemistry and Early Earth Environments. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2022; 52:165-181. [PMID: 35796897 PMCID: PMC9261198 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-022-09622-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The Prebiotic Chemistry and Early Earth Environments (PCE3) Consortium is a community of researchers seeking to understand the origins of life on Earth and in the universe. PCE3 is one of five Research Coordination Networks (RCNs) within NASA’s Astrobiology Program. Here we report on the inaugural PCE3 workshop, intended to cross-pollinate, transfer information, promote cooperation, break down disciplinary barriers, identify new directions, and foster collaborations. This workshop, entitled, “Building a New Foundation”, was designed to propagate current knowledge, identify possibilities for multidisciplinary collaboration, and ultimately define paths for future collaborations. Presentations addressed the likely conditions on early Earth in ways that could be incorporated into prebiotic chemistry experiments and conceptual models to improve their plausibility and accuracy. Additionally, the discussions that followed among workshop participants helped to identify within each subdiscipline particularly impactful new research directions. At its core, the foundational knowledge base presented in this workshop should underpin future workshops and enable collaborations that bridge the many disciplines that are part of PCE3.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jamie Elsila
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, United States
| | - Dustin Trail
- University of Rochester, Rochester, United States
| | | | - Claudia-Corina Giese
- Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Hänni N, Altwegg K, Combi M, Fuselier SA, De Keyser J, Rubin M, Wampfler SF. Identification and characterization of a new ensemble of cometary organic molecules. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3639. [PMID: 35752637 PMCID: PMC9233696 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31346-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In-situ study of comet 1P/Halley during its 1986 apparition revealed a surprising abundance of organic coma species. It remained unclear, whether or not these species originated from polymeric matter. Now, high-resolution mass-spectrometric data collected at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by ESA’s Rosetta mission unveil the chemical structure of complex cometary organics. Here, we identify an ensemble of individual molecules with masses up to 140 Da while demonstrating inconsistency of the data with relevant amounts of polymeric matter. The ensemble has an average composition of C1H1.56O0.134N0.046S0.017, identical to meteoritic soluble organic matter, and includes a plethora of chain-based, cyclic, and aromatic hydrocarbons at an approximate ratio of 6:3:1. Its compositional and structural properties, except for the H/C ratio, resemble those of other Solar System reservoirs of organics—from organic material in the Saturnian ring rain to meteoritic soluble and insoluble organic matter –, which is compatible with a shared prestellar history. A new analysis of Rosetta mass spectra reveals an ensemble of complex organic molecules with striking similarities to other organic reservoirs in the Solar System, including Saturn’s ring rain material, pointing at a likely joint prestellar history.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N Hänni
- Physics Institute, Space Research & Planetary Sciences, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - K Altwegg
- Physics Institute, Space Research & Planetary Sciences, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - M Combi
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - S A Fuselier
- Space Science Directorate, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - J De Keyser
- Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, BIRA-IASB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - M Rubin
- Physics Institute, Space Research & Planetary Sciences, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - S F Wampfler
- Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, Gesellschaftsstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Evolution of Realistic Organic Mixtures for the Origins of Life through Wet–Dry Cycling. SCI 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/sci4020022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the challenges in understanding chemical evolution is the large number of starting organics and environments that were plausible on early Earth. Starting with realistic organic mixtures and using chemical analyses that are not biologically biased, understanding the interplay between organic composition and environment can be approached using statistical analysis. In this work, a mixture of 73 organics was cycled through dehydrating conditions five times, considering environmental parameters of pH, salinity, and rehydration solution. Products were analyzed by HPLC, amide and ester assays, and phosphatase and esterase assays. While all environmental factors were found to influence chemical evolution, salinity was found to play a large role in the evolution of these mixtures, with samples diverging at very high sea salt concentrations. This framework should be expanded and formalized to improve our understanding of abiogenesis.
Collapse
|
44
|
Arya A, Ray J, Sharma S, Cruz Simbron R, Lozano A, Smith HB, Andersen JL, Chen H, Meringer M, Cleaves HJ. An open source computational workflow for the discovery of autocatalytic networks in abiotic reactions. Chem Sci 2022; 13:4838-4853. [PMID: 35655880 PMCID: PMC9067619 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc00256f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A central question in origins of life research is how non-entailed chemical processes, which simply dissipate chemical energy because they can do so due to immediate reaction kinetics and thermodynamics, enabled the origin of highly-entailed ones, in which concatenated kinetically and thermodynamically favorable processes enhanced some processes over others. Some degree of molecular complexity likely had to be supplied by environmental processes to produce entailed self-replicating processes. The origin of entailment, therefore, must connect to fundamental chemistry that builds molecular complexity. We present here an open-source chemoinformatic workflow to model abiological chemistry to discover such entailment. This pipeline automates generation of chemical reaction networks and their analysis to discover novel compounds and autocatalytic processes. We demonstrate this pipeline's capabilities against a well-studied model system by vetting it against experimental data. This workflow can enable rapid identification of products of complex chemistries and their underlying synthetic relationships to help identify autocatalysis, and potentially self-organization, in such systems. The algorithms used in this study are open-source and reconfigurable by other user-developed workflows.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aayush Arya
- Department of Physics, Lovely Professional University Jalandhar Delhi-GT Road Phagwara Punjab 144411 India
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science Seattle Washington 98104 USA
| | - Jessica Ray
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science Seattle Washington 98104 USA
| | - Siddhant Sharma
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science Seattle Washington 98104 USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi New Delhi 110019 India
| | - Romulo Cruz Simbron
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science Seattle Washington 98104 USA
- Laboratorio de Investigación Fisicoquímica (LABINFIS), Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería Av. Túpac Amaru 210 Lima Peru
- Centro de Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicaciones (CTIC UNI), Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria Av. Túpac Amaru 210 Lima Peru
| | - Alejandro Lozano
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science Seattle Washington 98104 USA
- Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Biotecnología - Instituto Politécnico Nacional 550 Av. Acueducto 07340 Mexico City Mexico
| | - Harrison B Smith
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology Tokyo Japan
| | - Jakob Lykke Andersen
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Southern Denmark Campusvej 55 5230 Odense M Denmark
| | - Huan Chen
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory Tallahassee Florida 32310 USA
| | - Markus Meringer
- German Aerospace Center (DLR) 82234 Oberpfaffenhofen Wessling Germany
| | - Henderson James Cleaves
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science Seattle Washington 98104 USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology Tokyo Japan
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Kaiser K, Schulz F, Maillard JF, Hermann F, Pozo I, Peña D, Cleaves HJ, Burton AS, Danger G, Afonso C, Sandford S, Gross L. Visualization and identification of single meteoritic organic molecules by atomic force microscopy. METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE 2022; 57:644-656. [PMID: 35912284 PMCID: PMC9305854 DOI: 10.1111/maps.13784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Using high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) with CO-functionalized tips, we atomically resolved individual molecules from Murchison meteorite samples. We analyzed powdered Murchison meteorite material directly, as well as processed extracts that we prepared to facilitate characterization by AFM. From the untreated Murchison sample, we resolved very few molecules, as the sample contained mostly small molecules that could not be identified by AFM. By contrast, using a procedure based on several trituration and extraction steps with organic solvents, we isolated a fraction enriched in larger organic compounds. The treatment increased the fraction of molecules that could be resolved by AFM, allowing us to identify organic constituents and molecular moieties, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic chains. The AFM measurements are complemented by high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis of Murchison fractions. We provide a proof of principle that AFM can be used to image and identify individual organic molecules from meteorites and propose a method for extracting and preparing meteorite samples for their investigation by AFM. We discuss the challenges and prospects of this approach to study extraterrestrial samples based on single-molecule identification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabian Schulz
- IBM Research—ZurichRüschlikon8003Switzerland
- Present address:
Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck SocietyBerlin14195Germany
| | - Julien F. Maillard
- Normandie UnivCOBRAUMR 6014 et FR 3038 Univ RouenINSA RouenCNRS IRCOF1 Rue TesnièreMont‐Saint‐Aignan Cedex76821France
| | | | - Iago Pozo
- Departamento de Química OrgánicaCentro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS)Universidade de Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela15782Spain
| | - Diego Peña
- Departamento de Química OrgánicaCentro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS)Universidade de Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela15782Spain
| | - H. James Cleaves
- Earth‐Life Science InstituteTokyo Institute of Technology2‑12‑1‑IE‑1 Ookayama, Meguro‑kuTokyo152‑8550Japan
- Blue Marble Space Institute for Science1001 4th Ave, Suite 3201SeattleWashington98154USA
| | - Aaron S. Burton
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science DivisionNASA Johnson Space CenterMS XI‐3HoustonTexas77058USA
| | - Gregoire Danger
- Laboratoire de Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires (PIIM)CNRSAix‐Marseille UniversitéMarseilleFrance
- CNRSCNESLAMAix‐Marseille UniversitéMarseilleFrance
- Institut Universitaire de FranceParisFrance
| | - Carlos Afonso
- Normandie UnivCOBRAUMR 6014 et FR 3038 Univ RouenINSA RouenCNRS IRCOF1 Rue TesnièreMont‐Saint‐Aignan Cedex76821France
| | - Scott Sandford
- Space Science DivisionNASA Ames Research CenterMS 245‐6Moffett FieldCalifornia94035USA
| | - Leo Gross
- IBM Research—ZurichRüschlikon8003Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Kloprogge JT(T, Hartman H. Clays and the Origin of Life: The Experiments. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:259. [PMID: 35207546 PMCID: PMC8880559 DOI: 10.3390/life12020259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There are three groups of scientists dominating the search for the origin of life: the organic chemists (the Soup), the molecular biologists (RNA world), and the inorganic chemists (metabolism and transient-state metal ions), all of which have experimental adjuncts. It is time for Clays and the Origin of Life to have its experimental adjunct. The clay data coming from Mars and carbonaceous chondrites have necessitated a review of the role that clays played in the origin of life on Earth. The data from Mars have suggested that Fe-clays such as nontronite, ferrous saponites, and several other clays were formed on early Mars when it had sufficient water. This raised the question of the possible role that these clays may have played in the origin of life on Mars. This has put clays front and center in the studies on the origin of life not only on Mars but also here on Earth. One of the major questions is: What was the catalytic role of Fe-clays in the origin and development of metabolism here on Earth? First, there is the recent finding of a chiral amino acid (isovaline) that formed on the surface of a clay mineral on several carbonaceous chondrites. This points to the formation of amino acids on the surface of clay minerals on carbonaceous chondrites from simpler molecules, e.g., CO2, NH3, and HCN. Additionally, there is the catalytic role of small organic molecules, such as dicarboxylic acids and amino acids found on carbonaceous chondrites, in the formation of Fe-clays themselves. Amino acids and nucleotides adsorb on clay surfaces on Earth and subsequently polymerize. All of these observations and more must be subjected to strict experimental analysis. This review provides an overview of what has happened and is now happening in the experimental clay world related to the origin of life. The emphasis is on smectite-group clay minerals, such as montmorillonite and nontronite.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Teunis (Theo) Kloprogge
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, Miagao 5023, Philippines
| | - Hyman Hartman
- Department of Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
He C, Yang Z, Doddipatla S, Thomas AM, Kaiser RI, Galimova GR, Mebel AM, Fujioka K, Sun R. Directed gas phase preparation of ethynylallene (H 2CCCHCCH; X 1A′) via the crossed molecular beam reaction of the methylidyne radical (CH; X 2Π) with vinylacetylene (H 2CCHCCH; X 1A′). Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:26499-26510. [DOI: 10.1039/d2cp04081f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The elementary reaction of the methylidyne radical with vinylacetylene leading to the predominant formation of ethynylallene and atomic hydrogen via indirect scattering dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao He
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Zhenghai Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Srinivas Doddipatla
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Aaron M. Thomas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Ralf I. Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Galiya R. Galimova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, USA
| | - Alexander M. Mebel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, USA
| | - Kazuumi Fujioka
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Rui Sun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Kobayashi K, Mita H, Kebukawa Y, Nakagawa K, Kaneko T, Obayashi Y, Sato T, Yokoo T, Minematsu S, Fukuda H, Oguri Y, Yoda I, Yoshida S, Kanda K, Imai E, Yano H, Hashimoto H, Yokobori SI, Yamagishi A. Space Exposure of Amino Acids and Their Precursors during the Tanpopo Mission. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:1479-1493. [PMID: 34793260 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Amino acids have been detected in extraterrestrial bodies such as carbonaceous chondrites (CCs), which suggests that extraterrestrial organics could be the source of the first life on Earth, and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) or micrometeorites (MMs) are promising carriers of extraterrestrial organic carbon. Some amino acids found in CCs are amino acid precursors, but these have not been well characterized. The Tanpopo mission was conducted in Earth orbit from 2015 to 2019, and the stability of glycine (Gly), hydantoin (Hyd), isovaline (Ival), 5-ethyl-5-methylhydantoin (EMHyd), and complex organics formed by proton irradiation from CO, NH3, and H2O (CAW) in space were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and/or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The target substances showed a logarithmic decomposition over 1-3 years upon space exposure. Recoveries of Gly and CAW were higher than those of Hyd, Ival, and EMHyd. Ground simulation experiments showed different results: Hyd was more stable than Gly. Solar ultraviolet light was fatal to all organics, and they required protection when carried by IDPs/MMs. Thus, complex amino acid precursors (such as CAW) were possibly more robust than simple precursors during transportation to primitive Earth. The Tanpopo 2 mission is currently being conducted to expose organics to more probable space conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kensei Kobayashi
- Department of Chemistry, Yokohama National University, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hajime Mita
- Department of Life, Environment and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoko Kebukawa
- Department of Chemistry, Yokohama National University, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kazumichi Nakagawa
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takeo Kaneko
- Department of Chemistry, Yokohama National University, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yumiko Obayashi
- Department of Chemistry, Yokohama National University, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Tomohito Sato
- Department of Chemistry, Yokohama National University, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takuya Yokoo
- Department of Chemistry, Yokohama National University, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Saaya Minematsu
- Department of Life, Environment and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Fukuoka, Japan
| | | | | | - Isao Yoda
- Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yoshida
- National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Inage-ku, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Kanda
- University of Hyogo, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Eiichi Imai
- Department of Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hajime Yano
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Hashimoto
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Yokobori
- School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihiko Yamagishi
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
- School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Vincent L, Colón-Santos S, Cleaves HJ, Baum DA, Maurer SE. The Prebiotic Kitchen: A Guide to Composing Prebiotic Soup Recipes to Test Origins of Life Hypotheses. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11111221. [PMID: 34833097 PMCID: PMC8618940 DOI: 10.3390/life11111221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
“Prebiotic soup” often features in discussions of origins of life research, both as a theoretical concept when discussing abiological pathways to modern biochemical building blocks and, more recently, as a feedstock in prebiotic chemistry experiments focused on discovering emergent, systems-level processes such as polymerization, encapsulation, and evolution. However, until now, little systematic analysis has gone into the design of well-justified prebiotic mixtures, which are needed to facilitate experimental replicability and comparison among researchers. This paper explores principles that should be considered in choosing chemical mixtures for prebiotic chemistry experiments by reviewing the natural environmental conditions that might have created such mixtures and then suggests reasonable guidelines for designing recipes. We discuss both “assembled” mixtures, which are made by mixing reagent grade chemicals, and “synthesized” mixtures, which are generated directly from diversity-generating primary prebiotic syntheses. We discuss different practical concerns including how to navigate the tremendous uncertainty in the chemistry of the early Earth and how to balance the desire for using prebiotically realistic mixtures with experimental tractability and replicability. Examples of two assembled mixtures, one based on materials likely delivered by carbonaceous meteorites and one based on spark discharge synthesis, are presented to illustrate these challenges. We explore alternative procedures for making synthesized mixtures using recursive chemical reaction systems whose outputs attempt to mimic atmospheric and geochemical synthesis. Other experimental conditions such as pH and ionic strength are also considered. We argue that developing a handful of standardized prebiotic recipes may facilitate coordination among researchers and enable the identification of the most promising mechanisms by which complex prebiotic mixtures were “tamed” during the origin of life to give rise to key living processes such as self-propagation, information processing, and adaptive evolution. We end by advocating for the development of a public prebiotic chemistry database containing experimental methods (including soup recipes), results, and analytical pipelines for analyzing complex prebiotic mixtures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lena Vincent
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA; (L.V.); (S.C.-S.)
| | - Stephanie Colón-Santos
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA; (L.V.); (S.C.-S.)
| | - H. James Cleaves
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, The Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA;
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
- Blue Marble Space Institute for Science, Seattle, WA 97154, USA
| | - David A. Baum
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA; (L.V.); (S.C.-S.)
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Correspondence: (D.A.B.); (S.E.M.)
| | - Sarah E. Maurer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT 06050, USA
- Correspondence: (D.A.B.); (S.E.M.)
| |
Collapse
|