1
|
Changela HG, Kebukawa Y, Petera L, Ferus M, Chatzitheodoridis E, Nejdl L, Nebel R, Protiva V, Krepelka P, Moravcova J, Holbova R, Hlavenkova Z, Samoril T, Bridges JC, Yamashita S, Takahashi Y, Yada T, Nakato A, Sobotkova K, Tesarova H, Zapotok D. The evolution of organic material on Asteroid 162173 Ryugu and its delivery to Earth. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6165. [PMID: 39039074 PMCID: PMC11263614 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50004-w] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The recent return of samples from asteroid 162173 Ryugu provides a first insight into early Solar System prebiotic evolution from known planetary bodies. Ryugu's samples are CI chondrite-like, rich in water and organic material, and primarily composed of phyllosilicate. This phyllosilicate surrounds micron to submicron macromolecular organic particles known as insoluble organic matter. Using advanced microscopy techniques on Hayabusa-2 samples, we find that aqueous alteration on Ryugu produced organic particles richer in aromatics compared to less altered carbonaceous chondrites. This challenges the view that aromatic-rich organic matter formed pre-accretion. Additionally, widespread diffuse organic material occurs in phyllosilicate more aliphatic-, carboxylic-rich, and aromatic-poor than the discrete organic particles, likely preserving the soluble organic material. Some organic particles evolved to encapsulate phyllosilicate, indicating that aqueous alteration on Ryugu led to the containment of soluble organic matter within these particles. Earth therefore has been, and continues to be, delivered micron-sized polymeric organic objects containing biologically relevant molecules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H G Changela
- Department of Spectroscopy, J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia.
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | - Y Kebukawa
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Yokohama National University, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - L Petera
- Department of Spectroscopy, J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - M Ferus
- Department of Spectroscopy, J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - E Chatzitheodoridis
- School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- ESTEC, European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | - L Nejdl
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University, Brno, Czechia
| | - R Nebel
- Department of Spectroscopy, J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - V Protiva
- Department of Spectroscopy, J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - P Krepelka
- Central European Institute of Technology Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - J Moravcova
- Central European Institute of Technology Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - R Holbova
- Central European Institute of Technology Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Z Hlavenkova
- Central European Institute of Technology Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - T Samoril
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czechia
- TESCAN GROUP a.s., Brno, Czechia
| | - J C Bridges
- Space Park Leicester, School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - S Yamashita
- Institute of Materials Structure Science, High-Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Y Takahashi
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - T Yada
- Astromaterials Science Research Group, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - A Nakato
- Astromaterials Science Research Group, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Knížek A, Petera L, Laitl V, Ferus M. Decomposition of HCN during Experimental Impacts in Dry and Wet Planetary Atmospheres. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2024; 8:1246-1258. [PMID: 38919854 PMCID: PMC11195306 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Hydrogen cyanide (HCN), a key molecule of significant importance in contemporary perspectives on prebiotic chemistry, originates in planetary atmospheres from various processes, such as photochemistry, thermochemistry, and impact chemistry, as well as from delivery by impacts. The resilience of HCN during periods of heavy bombardment, a phenomenon caused by an influx of material on unstable trajectories after accretion, remains relatively understudied. This study extensively investigates the stability of HCN under impact conditions simulated using a laboratory Nd:YAG laser in the ELISE experimental setup. High-resolution infrared spectroscopy was employed to monitor the gas phase composition during these simulations. Impact chemistry was simulated in bulk nitrogen atmospheres with varying mixing ratios of HCN and water vapor. The probed range of compositions spans from ∼0 to 1.8% of HCN and 0 to 2.7% of H2O in a ∼1 bar nitrogen atmosphere. The primary decomposition products of HCN are CO and CO2 in the presence of water and unidentified solid phase products in dry conditions. Our experiments revealed a range of initial HCN decomposition rates between 2.43 × 1015 and 5.17 × 1017 molec J-1 of input energy depending on the initial composition. Notably, it is shown that the decomposition process induced by the laser spark simulating the impact plasma is nonlinear, with the duration of the irradiation markedly affecting the decomposition rate. These findings underscore the necessity for careful consideration and allowance for margins when applying these rates to chemical models of molecular synthesis and decomposition in planetary atmospheres.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonín Knížek
- J.Heyrovský
Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy
of Sciences, Dolejškova
2155/3, CZ18223 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Petera
- J.Heyrovský
Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy
of Sciences, Dolejškova
2155/3, CZ18223 Prague, Czech Republic
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 8, CZ12800 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Laitl
- J.Heyrovský
Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy
of Sciences, Dolejškova
2155/3, CZ18223 Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty
of Science, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, BE2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Martin Ferus
- J.Heyrovský
Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy
of Sciences, Dolejškova
2155/3, CZ18223 Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Huang XL. Unveiling the role of inorganic nanoparticles in Earth's biochemical evolution through electron transfer dynamics. iScience 2024; 27:109555. [PMID: 38638571 PMCID: PMC11024932 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
This article explores the intricate interplay between inorganic nanoparticles and Earth's biochemical history, with a focus on their electron transfer properties. It reveals how iron oxide and sulfide nanoparticles, as examples of inorganic nanoparticles, exhibit oxidoreductase activity similar to proteins. Termed "life fossil oxidoreductases," these inorganic enzymes influence redox reactions, detoxification processes, and nutrient cycling in early Earth environments. By emphasizing the structural configuration of nanoparticles and their electron conformation, including oxygen defects and metal vacancies, especially electron hopping, the article provides a foundation for understanding inorganic enzyme mechanisms. This approach, rooted in physics, underscores that life's origin and evolution are governed by electron transfer principles within the framework of chemical equilibrium. Today, these nanoparticles serve as vital biocatalysts in natural ecosystems, participating in critical reactions for ecosystem health. The research highlights their enduring impact on Earth's history, shaping ecosystems and interacting with protein metal centers through shared electron transfer dynamics, offering insights into early life processes and adaptations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Lan Huang
- Center for Clean Water Technology, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-6044, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rodriguez LE, Altair T, Hermis NY, Jia TZ, Roche TP, Steller LH, Weber JM. Chapter 4: A Geological and Chemical Context for the Origins of Life on Early Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S76-S106. [PMID: 38498817 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Within the first billion years of Earth's history, the planet transformed from a hot, barren, and inhospitable landscape to an environment conducive to the emergence and persistence of life. This chapter will review the state of knowledge concerning early Earth's (Hadean/Eoarchean) geochemical environment, including the origin and composition of the planet's moon, crust, oceans, atmosphere, and organic content. It will also discuss abiotic geochemical cycling of the CHONPS elements and how these species could have been converted to biologically relevant building blocks, polymers, and chemical networks. Proposed environments for abiogenesis events are also described and evaluated. An understanding of the geochemical processes under which life may have emerged can better inform our assessment of the habitability of other worlds, the potential complexity that abiotic chemistry can achieve (which has implications for putative biosignatures), and the possibility for biochemistries that are vastly different from those on Earth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Rodriguez
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA. (Current)
| | - Thiago Altair
- Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Chemistry, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA. (Current)
| | - Ninos Y Hermis
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Physics and Space Sciences, University of Granada, Granada Spain. (Current)
| | - Tony Z Jia
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tyler P Roche
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Luke H Steller
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Jessica M Weber
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Huang XL, Harmer JR, Schenk G, Southam G. Inorganic Fe-O and Fe-S oxidoreductases: paradigms for prebiotic chemistry and the evolution of enzymatic activity in biology. Front Chem 2024; 12:1349020. [PMID: 38389729 PMCID: PMC10881703 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1349020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Oxidoreductases play crucial roles in electron transfer during biological redox reactions. These reactions are not exclusive to protein-based biocatalysts; nano-size (<100 nm), fine-grained inorganic colloids, such as iron oxides and sulfides, also participate. These nanocolloids exhibit intrinsic redox activity and possess direct electron transfer capacities comparable to their biological counterparts. The unique metal ion architecture of these nanocolloids, including electron configurations, coordination environment, electron conductivity, and the ability to promote spontaneous electron hopping, contributes to their transfer capabilities. Nano-size inorganic colloids are believed to be among the earliest 'oxidoreductases' to have 'evolved' on early Earth, playing critical roles in biological systems. Representing a distinct type of biocatalysts alongside metalloproteins, these nanoparticles offer an early alternative to protein-based oxidoreductase activity. While the roles of inorganic nano-sized catalysts in current Earth ecosystems are intuitively significant, they remain poorly understood and underestimated. Their contribution to chemical reactions and biogeochemical cycles likely helped shape and maintain the balance of our planet's ecosystems. However, their potential applications in biomedical, agricultural, and environmental protection sectors have not been fully explored or exploited. This review examines the structure, properties, and mechanisms of such catalysts from a material's evolutionary standpoint, aiming to raise awareness of their potential to provide innovative solutions to some of Earth's sustainability challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Lan Huang
- NYS Center for Clean Water Technology, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Jeffrey R Harmer
- Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gerhard Schenk
- Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Gordon Southam
- Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sajeev Y. Prebiotic chemical origin of biomolecular complementarity. Commun Chem 2023; 6:259. [PMID: 38012323 PMCID: PMC10681984 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-01060-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The early Earth, devoid of the protective stratospheric ozone layer, must have sustained an ambient prebiotic physicochemical medium intensified by the co-existence of shortwave UV photons and very low energy electrons (vLEEs). Consequently, only intrinsically stable molecules against these two co-existing molecular destructors must have proliferated and thereby chemically evolved into the advanced molecules of life. Based on this view, we examined the stability inherent in nucleobases and their complementary pairs as resistance to the molecular damaging effects of shortwave UV photons and vLEEs. This leads to the conclusion that nucleobases could only proliferated as their complementary pairs under the unfavorable prebiotic conditions on early Earth. The complementary base pairing not only enhances but consolidates the intrinsic stability of nucleobases against short-range UV photons, vLEEs, and possibly many as-yet-unknown deleterious agents co-existed in the prebiotic conditions of the early Earth. In short, complementary base pairing is a manifestation of chemical evolution in the unfavorable prebiotic medium created by the absence of the stratospheric ozone layer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y Sajeev
- Theoretical Chemistry Section, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Rosa CA, Bergantini A, Herczku P, Mifsud DV, Lakatos G, Kovács STS, Sulik B, Juhász Z, Ioppolo S, Quitián-Lara HM, Mason NJ, Lage C. Infrared Spectral Signatures of Nucleobases in Interstellar Ices I: Purines. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2208. [PMID: 38004348 PMCID: PMC10672069 DOI: 10.3390/life13112208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The purine nucleobases adenine and guanine are complex organic molecules that are essential for life. Despite their ubiquitous presence on Earth, purines have yet to be detected in observations of astronomical environments. This work therefore proposes to study the infrared spectra of purines linked to terrestrial biochemical processes under conditions analogous to those found in the interstellar medium. The infrared spectra of adenine and guanine, both in neat form and embedded within an ice made of H2O:NH3:CH4:CO:CH3OH (10:1:1:1:1), were analysed with the aim of determining which bands attributable to adenine and/or guanine can be observed in the infrared spectrum of an astrophysical ice analogue rich in other volatile species known to be abundant in dense molecular clouds. The spectrum of adenine and guanine mixed together was also analysed. This study has identified three purine nucleobase infrared absorption bands that do not overlap with bands attributable to the volatiles that are ubiquitous in the dense interstellar medium. Therefore, these three bands, which are located at 1255, 940, and 878 cm-1, are proposed as an infrared spectral signature for adenine, guanine, or a mixture of these molecules in astrophysical ices. All three bands have integrated molar absorptivity values (ψ) greater than 4 km mol-1, meaning that they should be readily observable in astronomical targets. Therefore, if these three bands were to be observed together in the same target, then it is possible to propose the presence of a purine molecule (i.e., adenine or guanine) there.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Antunes Rosa
- Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-170, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Bergantini
- Celso Suckow da Fonseca Federal Centre for Technological Education, Rio de Janeiro 20271-110, Brazil
| | - Péter Herczku
- HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Duncan V. Mifsud
- HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gergő Lakatos
- HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | - Béla Sulik
- HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Juhász
- HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Sergio Ioppolo
- Centre for Interstellar Catalysis (InterCat), Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Heidy M. Quitián-Lara
- Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NH, UK
| | - Nigel J. Mason
- HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
- Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NH, UK
| | - Claudia Lage
- Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-170, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ravanbodshirazi S, Boutfol T, Safaridehkohneh N, Finkler M, Mohammadi-Kambs M, Ott A. The Nature of the Spark Is a Pivotal Element in the Design of a Miller-Urey Experiment. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2201. [PMID: 38004341 PMCID: PMC10672138 DOI: 10.3390/life13112201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Miller and Urey applied electric sparks to a reducive mixture of CH4, NH3, and water to obtain a complex organic mixture including biomolecules. In this study, we examined the impact of temperature, initial pressure, ammonia concentration, and the spark generator on the chemical profile of a Miller-Urey-type prebiotic broth. We analyzed the broth composition using Gas Chromatography combined with Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS). The results point towards strong compositional changes with the nature of the spark. Ammonia exhibited catalytic properties even with non-nitrogen-containing compounds. A more elevated temperature led to a higher variety of substances. We conclude that to reproduce such a broth as well as possible, all the studied parameters need to be tightly controlled, the most difficult and important being spark generation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Albrecht Ott
- Biological Experimental Physics, Center for Biophysics, Faculity of Natural Sciences and Technology, Saarland University, Campus B2 1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (S.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Benny J, Liu J. Spin-orbit charge transfer from guanine and 9-methylguanine radical cations to nitric oxide radicals and the induced triplet-to-singlet intersystem crossing. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:085102. [PMID: 37638623 DOI: 10.1063/5.0160921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitric oxide (●NO) participates in many biological activities, including enhancing DNA radiosensitivity in ionizing radiation-based radiotherapy. To help understand the radiosensitization of ●NO, we report reaction dynamics between ●NO and the radical cations of guanine (a 9HG●+ conformer) and 9-methylguanine (9MG●+). On the basis of the formation of 9HG●+ and 9MG●+ in the gas phase and the collisions of the radical cations with ●NO in a guided-ion beam mass spectrometer, the charge transfer reactions of 9HG●+ and 9MG●+ with ●NO were examined. For both reactions, the kinetic energy-dependent product ion cross sections revealed a threshold energy that is 0.24 (or 0.37) eV above the 0 K product 9HG (or 9MG) + NO+ asymptote. To interrogate this abnormal threshold behavior, the reaction potential energy surface for [9MG + NO]+ was mapped out at closed-shell singlet, open-shell singlet, and triplet states using density functional and coupled cluster theories. The results showed that the charge transfer reaction requires the interaction of a triplet-state surface originating from a reactant-like precursor complex 3[9MG●+(↑)⋅(↑)●NO] with a closed-shell singlet-state surface evolving from a charge-transferred complex 1[9MG⋅NO+]. During the reaction, an electron is transferred from π∗(NO) to perpendicular π∗(9MG), which introduces a change in orbital angular momentum. The latter offsets the change in electron spin angular momentum and facilitates intersystem crossing. The reaction threshold in excess of the 0 K thermochemistry and the low charge-transfer efficiency are rationalized by the vibrational excitation in the product ion NO+ and the kinetic shift arising from a long-lived triplet intermediate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Benny
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Queens College of the City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Queens, New York 11367, USA
- The Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Ave., New York, New York 10016, USA
| | - Jianbo Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Queens College of the City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Queens, New York 11367, USA
- The Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Ave., New York, New York 10016, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Peters S, Semenov DA, Hochleitner R, Trapp O. Synthesis of prebiotic organics from CO 2 by catalysis with meteoritic and volcanic particles. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6843. [PMID: 37231067 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33741-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of prebiotic organics was a mandatory step toward the origin of life. The significance of the exogenous delivery versus the in-situ synthesis from atmospheric gases is still under debate. We experimentally demonstrate that iron-rich meteoritic and volcanic particles activate and catalyse the fixation of CO2, yielding the key precursors of life-building blocks. This catalysis is robust and produces selectively aldehydes, alcohols, and hydrocarbons, independent of the redox state of the environment. It is facilitated by common minerals and tolerates a broad range of the early planetary conditions (150-300 °C, ≲ 10-50 bar, wet or dry climate). We find that up to 6 × 108 kg/year of prebiotic organics could have been synthesized by this planetary-scale process from the atmospheric CO2 on Hadean Earth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Peters
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dmitry A Semenov
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rupert Hochleitner
- Mineralogische Staatssammlung München, Theresienstr. 41, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Oliver Trapp
- Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Civiš S, Pastorek A, Ferus M, Yurchenko SN, Boudjema NI. Infrared Spectra of Small Radicals for Exoplanetary Spectroscopy: OH, NH, CN and CH: The State of Current Knowledge. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28083362. [PMID: 37110598 PMCID: PMC10143568 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28083362] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we present a current state-of-the-art review of middle-to-near IR emission spectra of four simple astrophysically relevant molecular radicals-OH, NH, CN and CH. The spectra of these radicals were measured by means of time-resolved Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the 700-7500 cm-1 spectral range and with 0.07-0.02 cm-1 spectral resolution. The radicals were generated in a glow discharge of gaseous mixtures in a specially designed discharge cell. The spectra of short-lived radicals published here are of great importance, especially for the detailed knowledge and study of the composition of exoplanetary atmospheres in selected new planets. Today, with the help of the James Webb telescope and upcoming studies with the help of Plato and Ariel satellites, when the investigated spectral area is extended into the infrared spectral range, it means that detailed knowledge of the infrared spectra of not only stable molecules but also the spectra of short-lived radicals or ions, is indispensable. This paper follows a simple structure. Each radical is described in a separate chapter, starting with historical and actual theoretical background, continued by our experimental results and concluded by spectral line lists with assigned notation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Svatopluk Civiš
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Pastorek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA
| | - Martin Ferus
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Sergei N Yurchenko
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Noor-Ines Boudjema
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Distinguishing Biotic vs. Abiotic Origins of ‘Bio’signatures: Clues from Messy Prebiotic Chemistry for Detection of Life in the Universe. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13030766. [PMID: 36983921 PMCID: PMC10058490 DOI: 10.3390/life13030766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
It is not a stretch to say that the search for extraterrestrial life is possibly the biggest of the cosmic endeavors that humankind has embarked upon. With the continued discovery of several Earth-like exoplanets, the hope of detecting potential biosignatures is multiplying amongst researchers in the astrobiology community. However, to be able to discern these signatures as being truly of biological origin, we also need to consider their probable abiotic origin. The field of prebiotic chemistry, which is aimed at understanding enzyme-free chemical syntheses of biologically relevant molecules, could particularly aid in this regard. Specifically, certain peculiar characteristics of prebiotically pertinent messy chemical reactions, including diverse and racemic product yields and lower synthesis efficiencies, can be utilized in analyzing whether a perceived ‘signature of life’ could possibly have chemical origins. The knowledge gathered from understanding the transition from chemistry to biology during the origin of life could be used for creating a library of abiotically synthesized biologically relevant organic molecules. This can then be employed in designing, standardizing, and testing mission-specific instruments/analysis systems, while also enabling the effective targeting of exoplanets with potentially ‘ongoing’ molecular evolutionary processes for robust detection of life in future explorative endeavors.
Collapse
|
13
|
Prebiotic Synthesis of ATP: A Terrestrial Volcanism-Dependent Pathway. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13030731. [PMID: 36983886 PMCID: PMC10053121 DOI: 10.3390/life13030731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a multifunctional small molecule, necessary for all modern Earth life, which must be a component of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA). However, the relatively complex structure of ATP causes doubts about its accessibility on prebiotic Earth. In this paper, based on previous studies on the synthesis of ATP components, a plausible prebiotic pathway yielding this key molecule is constructed, which relies on terrestrial volcanism to provide the required materials and suitable conditions.
Collapse
|
14
|
De Mol ML. Astrobiology in Space: A Comprehensive Look at the Solar System. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13030675. [PMID: 36983831 PMCID: PMC10054531 DOI: 10.3390/life13030675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The field of astrobiology aims to understand the origin of life on Earth and searches for evidence of life beyond our planet. Although there is agreement on some of the requirements for life on Earth, the exact process by which life emerged from prebiotic conditions is still uncertain, leading to various theories. In order to expand our knowledge of life and our place in the universe, scientists look for signs of life through the use of biosignatures, observations that suggest the presence of past or present life. These biosignatures often require up-close investigation by orbiters and landers, which have been employed in various space missions. Mars, because of its proximity and Earth-like environment, has received the most attention and has been explored using (sub)surface sampling and analysis. Despite its inhospitable surface conditions, Venus has also been the subject of space missions due to the presence of potentially habitable conditions in its atmosphere. In addition, the discovery of habitable environments on icy moons has sparked interest in further study. This article provides an overview of the origin of life on Earth and the astrobiology studies carried out by orbiters and landers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maarten L De Mol
- Centre for Industrial Biotechnology and Biocatalysis (InBio.be), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Subbotin V, Fiksel G. Exploring the Lipid World Hypothesis: A Novel Scenario of Self-Sustained Darwinian Evolution of the Liposomes. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:344-357. [PMID: 36716277 PMCID: PMC9986030 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
According to the Lipid World hypothesis, life on Earth originated with the emergence of amphiphilic assemblies in the form of lipid micelles and vesicles (liposomes). However, the mechanism of appearance of the information molecules (ribozymes/RNA) accompanying that process, considered obligatory for Darwinian evolution, is unclear. We propose a novel scenario of self-sustained Darwinian evolution of the liposomes driven by ever-present natural phenomena: solar UV radiation, day/night cycle, gravity, and the formation of liposomes in an aqueous media. The central tenet of this scenario is the liposomes' encapsulation of the heavy solutes, followed by their gravitational submerging in the water. The submerged liposomes, being protected from the damaging UV radiation, acquire the longevity necessary for autocatalytic replication of amphiphiles, their mutation, and the selection of those amphiphilic assemblies that provide the greatest membrane stability. These two sets of adaptive compositional information (heavy content and amphiphilic assemblies design) generate a population of liposomes with self-replication/reproduction properties, which are amendable to mutation, inheritance, and selection, thereby establishing Darwinian progression. Temporary and spatial expansion of this liposomal population will provide the basis for the next evolutionary step-a transition of accidentally entrapped RNA precursor molecules into complex functional molecules, such as ribozymes/RNA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Subbotin
- Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Gennady Fiksel
- Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Zhao F, Akanuma S. Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction of the Ribosomal Protein uS8 and Reduction of Amino Acid Usage to a Smaller Alphabet. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:10-23. [PMID: 36396786 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-022-10078-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the origin and early evolution of proteins is important for unveiling how the RNA world developed into an RNA-protein world. Because the composition of organic molecules in the Earth's primitive environment was plausibly not as diverse as today, the number of different amino acids used in early protein synthesis is likely to be substantially less than the current 20 proteinogenic residues. In this study, we have explored the thermal stability and RNA binding of ancestral variants of the ribosomal protein uS8 constructed from a reduced-alphabet of amino acids. First, we built a phylogenetic tree based on the amino acid sequences of uS8 from multiple extant organisms and used the tree to infer two plausible amino acid sequences corresponding to the last bacterial common ancestor of uS8. Both ancestral proteins were thermally stable and bound to an RNA fragment. By eliminating individual amino acid letters and monitoring thermal stability and RNA binding in the resulting proteins, we reduced the size of the amino acid set constituting one of the ancestral proteins, eventually finding that convergent sequences consisting of 15- or 14-amino acid alphabets still folded into stable structures that bound to the RNA fragment. Furthermore, a simplified variant reconstructed from a 13-amino-acid alphabet retained affinity for the RNA fragment, although it lost conformational stability. Collectively, RNA-binding activity may be achieved with a subset of the current 20 amino acids, raising the possibility of a simpler composition of RNA-binding proteins in the earliest stage of protein evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fangzheng Zhao
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15, Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan
| | - Satoshi Akanuma
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15, Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Cohen ZR, Todd ZR, Wogan N, Black RA, Keller SL, Catling DC. Plausible Sources of Membrane-Forming Fatty Acids on the Early Earth: A Review of the Literature and an Estimation of Amounts. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2023; 7:11-27. [PMID: 36704178 PMCID: PMC9869395 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00168%20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The first cells were plausibly bounded by membranes assembled from fatty acids with at least 8 carbons. Although the presence of fatty acids on the early Earth is widely assumed within the astrobiology community, there is no consensus regarding their origin and abundance. In this Review, we highlight three possible sources of fatty acids: (1) delivery by carbonaceous meteorites, (2) synthesis on metals delivered by impactors, and (3) electrochemical synthesis by spark discharges. We also discuss fatty acid synthesis by UV or particle irradiation, gas-phase ion-molecule reactions, and aqueous redox reactions. We compare estimates for the total mass of fatty acids supplied to Earth by each source during the Hadean eon after an extremely massive asteroid impact that would have reset Earth's fatty acid inventory. We find that synthesis on iron-rich surfaces derived from the massive impactor in contact with an impact-generated reducing atmosphere could have contributed ∼102 times more total mass of fatty acids than subsequent delivery by either carbonaceous meteorites or electrochemical synthesis. Additionally, we estimate that a single carbonaceous meteorite would not deliver a high enough concentration of fatty acids (∼15 mM for decanoic acid) into an existing body of water on the Earth's surface to spontaneously form membranes unless the fatty acids were further concentrated by another mechanism, such as subsequent evaporation of the water. Our estimates rely heavily on various assumptions, leading to significant uncertainties; nevertheless, these estimates provide rough order-of-magnitude comparisons of various sources of fatty acids on the early Earth. We also suggest specific experiments to improve future estimates. Our calculations support the view that fatty acids would have been available on the early Earth. Further investigation is needed to assess the mechanisms by which fatty acids could have been concentrated sufficiently to assemble into membranes during the origin of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R. Cohen
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Zoe R. Todd
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Nicholas Wogan
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Roy A. Black
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Sarah L. Keller
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - David C. Catling
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Cohen ZR, Todd ZR, Wogan N, Black RA, Keller SL, Catling DC. Plausible Sources of Membrane-Forming Fatty Acids on the Early Earth: A Review of the Literature and an Estimation of Amounts. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2023; 7:11-27. [PMID: 36704178 PMCID: PMC9869395 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The first cells were plausibly bounded by membranes assembled from fatty acids with at least 8 carbons. Although the presence of fatty acids on the early Earth is widely assumed within the astrobiology community, there is no consensus regarding their origin and abundance. In this Review, we highlight three possible sources of fatty acids: (1) delivery by carbonaceous meteorites, (2) synthesis on metals delivered by impactors, and (3) electrochemical synthesis by spark discharges. We also discuss fatty acid synthesis by UV or particle irradiation, gas-phase ion-molecule reactions, and aqueous redox reactions. We compare estimates for the total mass of fatty acids supplied to Earth by each source during the Hadean eon after an extremely massive asteroid impact that would have reset Earth's fatty acid inventory. We find that synthesis on iron-rich surfaces derived from the massive impactor in contact with an impact-generated reducing atmosphere could have contributed ∼102 times more total mass of fatty acids than subsequent delivery by either carbonaceous meteorites or electrochemical synthesis. Additionally, we estimate that a single carbonaceous meteorite would not deliver a high enough concentration of fatty acids (∼15 mM for decanoic acid) into an existing body of water on the Earth's surface to spontaneously form membranes unless the fatty acids were further concentrated by another mechanism, such as subsequent evaporation of the water. Our estimates rely heavily on various assumptions, leading to significant uncertainties; nevertheless, these estimates provide rough order-of-magnitude comparisons of various sources of fatty acids on the early Earth. We also suggest specific experiments to improve future estimates. Our calculations support the view that fatty acids would have been available on the early Earth. Further investigation is needed to assess the mechanisms by which fatty acids could have been concentrated sufficiently to assemble into membranes during the origin of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R. Cohen
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Zoe R. Todd
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Nicholas Wogan
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Roy A. Black
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Sarah L. Keller
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - David C. Catling
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
"Sea Water" Supplemented with Calcium Phosphate and Magnesium Sulfate in a Long-Term Miller-Type Experiment Yields Sugars, Nucleic Acids Bases, Nucleosides, Lipids, Amino Acids, and Oligopeptides. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13020265. [PMID: 36836628 PMCID: PMC9959757 DOI: 10.3390/life13020265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The standard approach to exploring prebiotic chemistry is to use a small number of highly purified reactants and to attempt to optimize the conditions required to produce a particular end product. However, purified reactants do not exist in nature. We have previously proposed that what drives prebiotic evolution are complex chemical ecologies. Therefore, we have begun to explore what happens if one substitutes "sea water", with its complex mix of minerals and salts, for distilled water in the classic Miller experiment. We have also adapted the apparatus to permit it to be regassed at regular intervals so as to maintain a relatively constant supply of methane, hydrogen, and ammonia. The "sea water" used in the experiments was created from Mediterranean Sea salt with the addition of calcium phosphate and magnesium sulfate. Tests included several types of mass spectrometry, an ATP-monitoring device capable of measuring femtomoles of ATP, and a high-sensitivity cAMP enzyme-linked immunoadsorption assay. As expected, amino acids appeared within a few days of the start of the experiment and accumulated thereafter. Sugars, including glucose and ribose, followed as did long-chain fatty acids (up to C20). At three-to-five weeks after starting the experiment, ATP was repeatedly detected. Thus, we have shown that it is possible to produce a "one-pot synthesis" of most of the key chemical prerequisites for living systems within weeks by mimicking more closely the complexity of real-world chemical ecologies.
Collapse
|
20
|
A Short Tale of the Origin of Proteins and Ribosome Evolution. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10112115. [DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10112115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins are the workhorses of the cell and have been key players throughout the evolution of all organisms, from the origin of life to the present era. How might life have originated from the prebiotic chemistry of early Earth? This is one of the most intriguing unsolved questions in biology. Currently, however, it is generally accepted that amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, were abiotically available on primitive Earth, which would have made the formation of early peptides in a similar fashion possible. Peptides are likely to have coevolved with ancestral forms of RNA. The ribosome is the most evident product of this coevolution process, a sophisticated nanomachine that performs the synthesis of proteins codified in genomes. In this general review, we explore the evolution of proteins from their peptide origins to their folding and regulation based on the example of superoxide dismutase (SOD1), a key enzyme in oxygen metabolism on modern Earth.
Collapse
|
21
|
Pastorek A, Clark VHJ, Yurchenko SN, Ferus M, Civiš S. New physical insights: Formamide discharge decomposition and the role of fragments in the formation of large biomolecules. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2022; 278:121322. [PMID: 35537261 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2022.121322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this work we present a time-resolved FTIR spectroscopic study on kinetics of atomic and molecular species, specifically CO, CN radical, N2, HCN and CO2 generated in a glow discharge of formamide-nitrogen-water mixture in a helium buffer gas. Radicals such as NH, CH and OH have been proven to be fundamental stones of subsequent chemical reactions having a crucial role in a prebiotic synthesis of large organic molecules. This work contains three main goals. Firstly, we present our time-resolved spectra of formamide decomposition products and discuss the mechanism of collisional excitations between specific species. Secondly, according to our time resolution, we demonstrate and explain the band shape of CO's first overtone and the energy transfer between excited nitrogen and CO, present in our spectra. Lastly, we present theoretical results for the non-LTE modelling of the spectra using bi-temperature approach and a 1D harmonic Franck-Condon approach for the multi-molecule spectra of the formamide decomposition process in the 1800-5600 cm-1 spectral range.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Pastorek
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic; Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Břehová 78/7, 11519 Prague 1, Czech Republic
| | - Victoria H J Clark
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Sergei N Yurchenko
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Ferus
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Svatopluk Civiš
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Sources of Nitrogen-, Sulfur-, and Phosphorus-Containing Feedstocks for Prebiotic Chemistry in the Planetary Environment. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12081268. [PMID: 36013447 PMCID: PMC9410288 DOI: 10.3390/life12081268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Biochemistry on Earth makes use of the key elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur (or CHONPS). Chemically accessible molecules containing these key elements would presumably have been necessary for prebiotic chemistry and the origins of life on Earth. For example, feedstock molecules including fixed nitrogen (e.g., ammonia, nitrite, nitrate), accessible forms of phosphorus (e.g., phosphate, phosphite, etc.), and sources of sulfur (e.g., sulfide, sulfite) may have been necessary for the origins of life, given the biochemistry seen in Earth life today. This review describes potential sources of nitrogen-, sulfur-, and phosphorus-containing molecules in the context of planetary environments. For the early Earth, such considerations may be able to aid in the understanding of our own origins. Additionally, as we learn more about potential environments on other planets (for example, with upcoming next-generation telescope observations or new missions to explore other bodies in our Solar System), evaluating potential sources for elements necessary for life (as we know it) can help constrain the potential habitability of these worlds.
Collapse
|
23
|
Mishra P, Sankar SHH, Gosavi N, Bharathavikru RS. RNA nucleoprotein complexes in biological systems. PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s43538-022-00087-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
|
24
|
Amante G, Sponer JE, Sponer J, Saija F, Cassone G. A Computational Quantum-Based Perspective on the Molecular Origins of Life’s Building Blocks. ENTROPY 2022; 24:e24081012. [PMID: 35892991 PMCID: PMC9394336 DOI: 10.3390/e24081012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The search for the chemical origins of life represents a long-standing and continuously debated enigma. Despite its exceptional complexity, in the last decades the field has experienced a revival, also owing to the exponential growth of the computing power allowing for efficiently simulating the behavior of matter—including its quantum nature—under disparate conditions found, e.g., on the primordial Earth and on Earth-like planetary systems (i.e., exoplanets). In this minireview, we focus on some advanced computational methods capable of efficiently solving the Schro¨dinger equation at different levels of approximation (i.e., density functional theory)—such as ab initio molecular dynamics—and which are capable to realistically simulate the behavior of matter under the action of energy sources available in prebiotic contexts. In addition, recently developed metadynamics methods coupled with first-principles simulations are here reviewed and exploited to answer to old enigmas and to propose novel scenarios in the exponentially growing research field embedding the study of the chemical origins of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Amante
- Department of Mathematical and Computer Science, Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Messina, V. le F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy;
| | - Judit E. Sponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IBP-CAS), Kràlovopolskà 135, 61265 Brno, Czech Republic; (J.E.S.); (J.S.)
| | - Jiri Sponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IBP-CAS), Kràlovopolskà 135, 61265 Brno, Czech Republic; (J.E.S.); (J.S.)
| | - Franz Saija
- Institute for Physical-Chemical Processes, National Research Council of Italy (IPCF-CNR), V. le F. Stagno d’Alcontres 37, 98158 Messina, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.S.); (G.C.)
| | - Giuseppe Cassone
- Institute for Physical-Chemical Processes, National Research Council of Italy (IPCF-CNR), V. le F. Stagno d’Alcontres 37, 98158 Messina, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.S.); (G.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Reconstruction of the rRNA Sequences of LUCA, with Bioinformatic Implication of the Local Similarities Shared by Them. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11060837. [PMID: 35741358 PMCID: PMC9219793 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The theory of the RNA world, especially with the catalytic capability of RNA, provides a reasonable framework explaining the evolution of molecular genetics system before the scenario of the central dogma. However, it remains a challenge to deduce the origin mechanism of rRNAs. Here we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of archaea and bacteria with bootstrap values of most nodes, especially the deep ones, higher than 90%. Based on the well-resolved tree, the full lengths of 16S, 5S, and 23S rRNA sequences of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) were reconstructed for the first time. The potential similarities shared by the three ancestral rRNA sequences were further explored by searching for repeat short fragments in the level of purine–pyrimidine (RY) with certain lengths and arrangements. With the lengths ranging from 2 to 14, functional short fragments could be found in the three RNAs. As a representative, a set with a total of 75 short fragments of 11 nucleotides in length can recover all types of the known functional sites of ribosomes in a most concise manner. The 75 short fragments cluster around the functional center of the ribosome, among which 18 of them are highly conserved across five or six kingdoms and still contain all types of known functional sites except one. Alternatively, according to the strategy using the level of AUGC instead of RY, a similar pattern can be recovered. Such results indicate the local similarities shared by 16S, 5S, and 23S rRNAs and thus suggest a possible general mechanism in the formation of the LUCA rRNAs.
Collapse
|
26
|
Morphology of Meteorite Surfaces Ablated by High-Power Lasers: Review and Applications. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12104869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Under controlled laboratory conditions, lasers represent a source of energy with well-defined parameters suitable for mimicking phenomena such as ablation, disintegration, and plasma formation processes that take place during the hypervelocity atmospheric entry of meteoroids. Furthermore, lasers have also been proposed for employment in future space exploration and planetary defense in a wide range of potential applications. This highlights the importance of an experimental investigation of lasers’ interaction with real samples of interplanetary matter: meteorite specimens. We summarize the results of numerous meteorite laser ablation experiments performed by several laser sources—a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser, the multislab ceramic Yb:YAG Bivoj laser, and the iodine laser known as PALS (Prague Asterix Laser System). The differences in the ablation spots’ morphology and their dependence on the laser parameters are examined via optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and profilometry in the context of the meteorite properties and the physical characteristics of laser-induced plasma.
Collapse
|
27
|
Nejdl L, Petera L, Šponer J, Zemánková K, Pavelicová K, Knížek A, Adam V, Vaculovičová M, Ivanek O, Ferus M. Quantum Dots in Peroxidase-like Chemistry and Formamide-Based Hot Spring Synthesis of Nucleobases. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:541-551. [PMID: 35333585 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Quantum dots (QDs) are usually seen as artificial semiconductor particles exhibiting optical and electronic properties interesting for nanotechnological applications. However, they may also play a role in prebiotic chemistry. Starting from zinc acetate, cadmium acetate, and mercaptosuccinic acid, we demonstrate the formation of ZnCd QDs upon UV irradiation in prebiotic liquid formamide. We show that ZnCd QDs are able to increase the yield of RNA nucleobase synthesis from formamide up to 300 times, suggesting they might have served as universal catalysts in a primordial milieu. Based on the experimentally observed peroxidase-like activity of ZnCd QDs upon irradiation with visible light, we propose that QDs could be relevant to a broad variety of processes relating to the emergence of terrestrial life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lukáš Nejdl
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Petera
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Judit Šponer
- Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kristýna Zemánková
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kristýna Pavelicová
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Antonín Knížek
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Adam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Vaculovičová
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Ivanek
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Ferus
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
New Signatures of Bio-Molecular Complexity in the Hypervelocity Impact Ejecta of Icy Moon Analogues. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12040508. [PMID: 35454999 PMCID: PMC9026792 DOI: 10.3390/life12040508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Impact delivery of prebiotic compounds to the early Earth from an impacting comet is considered to be one of the possible ways by which prebiotic molecules arrived on the Earth. Given the ubiquity of impact features observed on all planetary bodies, bolide impacts may be a common source of organics on other planetary bodies both in our own and other solar systems. Biomolecules such as amino acids have been detected on comets and are known to be synthesized due to impact-induced shock processing. Here we report the results of a set of hypervelocity impact experiments where we shocked icy mixtures of amino acids mimicking the icy surface of planetary bodies with high-speed projectiles using a two-stage light gas gun and analyzed the ejecta material after impact. Electron microscopic observations of the ejecta have shown the presence of macroscale structures with long polypeptide chains revealed from LCMS analysis. These results suggest a pathway in which impact on cometary ices containing building blocks of life can lead to the synthesis of material architectures that could have played a role in the emergence of life on the Earth and which may be applied to other planetary bodies as well.
Collapse
|
29
|
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
|
30
|
Criado-Reyes J, Bizzarri BM, García-Ruiz JM, Saladino R, Di Mauro E. The role of borosilicate glass in Miller-Urey experiment. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21009. [PMID: 34697338 PMCID: PMC8545935 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00235-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
We have designed a set of experiments to test the role of borosilicate reactor on the yielding of the Miller-Urey type of experiment. Two experiments were performed in borosilicate flasks, two in a Teflon flask and the third couple in a Teflon flask with pieces of borosilicate submerged in the water. The experiments were performed in CH4, N2, and NH3 atmosphere either buffered at pH 8.7 with NH4Cl or unbuffered solutions at pH ca. 11, at room temperature. The Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy results show important differences in the yields, the number of products, and molecular weight. In particular, a dipeptide, multi-carbon dicarboxylic acids, PAHs, and a complete panel of biological nucleobases form more efficiently or exclusively in the borosilicate vessel. Our results offer a better explanation of the famous Miller's experiment showing the efficiency of borosilicate in a triphasic system including water and the reduced Miller-Urey atmosphere.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Criado-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Estudios Cristalográficos, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras 4, Armilla, 18100, Granada, Spain
| | - Bruno M Bizzarri
- Ecological and Biological Sciences Department (DEB), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Juan Manuel García-Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Estudios Cristalográficos, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras 4, Armilla, 18100, Granada, Spain.
| | - Raffaele Saladino
- Ecological and Biological Sciences Department (DEB), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Ernesto Di Mauro
- Ecological and Biological Sciences Department (DEB), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
The Way forward for the Origin of Life: Prions and Prion-Like Molecules First Hypothesis. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11090872. [PMID: 34575021 PMCID: PMC8467930 DOI: 10.3390/life11090872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper the hypothesis that prions and prion-like molecules could have initiated the chemical evolutionary process which led to the eventual emergence of life is reappraised. The prions first hypothesis is a specific application of the protein-first hypothesis which asserts that protein-based chemical evolution preceded the evolution of genetic encoding processes. This genetics-first hypothesis asserts that an “RNA-world era” came before protein-based chemical evolution and rests on a singular premise that molecules such as RNA, acetyl-CoA, and NAD are relics of a long line of chemical evolutionary processes preceding the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA). Nevertheless, we assert that prions and prion-like molecules may also be relics of chemical evolutionary processes preceding LUCA. To support this assertion is the observation that prions and prion-like molecules are involved in a plethora of activities in contemporary biology in both complex (eukaryotes) and primitive life forms. Furthermore, a literature survey reveals that small RNA virus genomes harbor information about prions (and amyloids). If, as has been presumed by proponents of the genetics-first hypotheses, small viruses were present during an RNA world era and were involved in some of the earliest evolutionary processes, this places prions and prion-like molecules potentially at the heart of the chemical evolutionary process whose eventual outcome was life. We deliberate on the case for prions and prion-like molecules as the frontier molecules at the dawn of evolution of living systems.
Collapse
|
32
|
Micellar electrokinetic chromatography as a powerful analytical tool for research on prebiotic chemistry. Microchem J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2021.106022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
33
|
A computational study on the formations of formamide analogues: Interesting chemistry by silicon analogues. COMPUT THEOR CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.comptc.2021.113290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
34
|
Micca Longo G, Vialetto L, Diomede P, Longo S, Laporta V. Plasma Modeling and Prebiotic Chemistry: A Review of the State-of-the-Art and Perspectives. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26123663. [PMID: 34208472 PMCID: PMC8235047 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We review the recent progress in the modeling of plasmas or ionized gases, with compositions compatible with that of primordial atmospheres. The plasma kinetics involves elementary processes by which free electrons ultimately activate weakly reactive molecules, such as carbon dioxide or methane, thereby potentially starting prebiotic reaction chains. These processes include electron–molecule reactions and energy exchanges between molecules. They are basic processes, for example, in the famous Miller-Urey experiment, and become relevant in any prebiotic scenario where the primordial atmosphere is significantly ionized by electrical activity, photoionization or meteor phenomena. The kinetics of plasma displays remarkable complexity due to the non-equilibrium features of the energy distributions involved. In particular, we argue that two concepts developed by the plasma modeling community, the electron velocity distribution function and the vibrational distribution function, may unlock much new information and provide insight into prebiotic processes initiated by electron–molecule collisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Micca Longo
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Via Edoardo Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy;
| | - Luca Vialetto
- Center for Computational Energy Research, DIFFER—Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research, De Zaale 20, 5612 AJ Eindhoven, The Netherlands;
| | - Paola Diomede
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Maastricht University, Paul Henri Spaaklaan 1, 6229 GS Maastricht, The Netherlands;
| | - Savino Longo
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Via Edoardo Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy;
- Istituto per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Plasmi, CNR, Via Amendola, 122/D, 70126 Bari, Italy;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0805442088
| | - Vincenzo Laporta
- Istituto per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Plasmi, CNR, Via Amendola, 122/D, 70126 Bari, Italy;
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Hydrogenations of Isocyanic Acid: A Computational Study on Four Possible Concerted Paths for Formamide Formation. Theor Chem Acc 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00214-021-02750-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
36
|
Masuda S, Furukawa Y, Kobayashi T, Sekine T, Kakegawa T. Experimental Investigation of the Formation of Formaldehyde by Hadean and Noachian Impacts. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:413-420. [PMID: 33784199 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Formaldehyde (FA) is an important precursor in the abiotic synthesis of major biomolecules including amino acids, sugars, and nucleobases. Thus, spontaneous formation of prebiotic FA must have been crucial for the chemical origin of life. The frequent impacts of meteorites and asteroids on Hadean Earth have been considered one of the abiotic synthetic processes of organic compounds. However, the impact-induced formation of FA from CO2 as the major atmospheric constituent has not been confirmed yet. This study investigated the formation of FA in impact-induced reactions among meteoritic minerals, bicarbonate, gaseous nitrogen, and water to simulate the abiotic process experimentally. Products were analyzed with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and powder X-ray diffraction techniques. The results show the formation of FA and oxidation of metallic iron to siderite in the impact shock experiments. This indicates that this important prebiotic molecule was also synthesized by impacts of iron-bearing meteorites/asteroids on the Hadean oceans. The impact events might have generated spatially and temporally FA-enriched localized environments. Moreover, the impact-induced synthesis of FA may have also occurred on Noachian Mars given the presence of liquid water and a CO2-N2-rich atmosphere on the planet.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saeka Masuda
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | | | - Toshimori Sekine
- Center for High Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai, China
- Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Stuyver T, Shaik S. Promotion Energy Analysis Predicts Reaction Modes: Nucleophilic and Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:4367-4378. [PMID: 33689334 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
To develop an approach to pre-emptively predict the existence of major reaction modes associated with a chemical system, based on exclusive consideration of reactant properties, we build herein on the valence bond perspective of chemical reactivity. In this perspective, elementary chemical reactions are conceptualized as crossovers between individual diabatic/semilocalized states. As demonstrated, the spacings between the main diabatic states in the reactant geometries-the so-called promotion energies-contain predictive information about which types of crossings are likely to occur on a potential energy surface, facilitating the identification of potential transition states and products. As an added bonus, promotion energy analysis provides direct insight into the impact of environmental effects, e.g., the presence of (polar) solvents and/or (local) electric fields, on a mechanistic landscape. We illustrate the usefulness of our approach by focusing on model nucleophilic and electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions. Overall, we envision our analysis to be useful not only as a tool for conceptualizing individual mechanistic landscapes but also as a facilitator of systematic reaction-network exploration efforts. Because the emerging VB descriptors are computationally inexpensive (and can alternatively be inferred through machine learning), they could be evaluated on-the-fly as part of an exploration algorithm. The so-predicted reaction modes could subsequently be examined in detail through computationally more-demanding methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thijs Stuyver
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Sason Shaik
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Abstract
The evolution of coenzymes, or their impact on the origin of life, is fundamental for understanding our own existence. Having established reasonable hypotheses about the emergence of prebiotic chemical building blocks, which were probably created under palaeogeochemical conditions, and surmising that these smaller compounds must have become integrated to afford complex macromolecules such as RNA, the question of coenzyme origin and its relation to the evolution of functional biochemistry should gain new impetus. Many coenzymes have a simple chemical structure and are often nucleotide-derived, which suggests that they may have coexisted with the emergence of RNA and may have played a pivotal role in early metabolism. Based on current theories of prebiotic evolution, which attempt to explain the emergence of privileged organic building blocks, this Review discusses plausible hypotheses on the prebiotic formation of key elements within selected extant coenzymes. In combination with prebiotic RNA, coenzymes may have dramatically broadened early protometabolic networks and the catalytic scope of RNA during the evolution of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kirschning
- Institut für Organische Chemie und Biomolekulares Wirkstoffzentrum (BMWZ)Leibniz Universität HannoverSchneiderberg 1B30167HannoverGermany
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Bizzarri BM, Saladino R, Delfino I, García-Ruiz JM, Di Mauro E. Prebiotic Organic Chemistry of Formamide and the Origin of Life in Planetary Conditions: What We Know and What Is the Future. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020917. [PMID: 33477625 PMCID: PMC7831497 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of prebiotic chemistry is the depiction of molecular evolution events preceding the emergence of life on Earth or elsewhere in the cosmos. Plausible experimental models require geochemical scenarios and robust chemistry. Today we know that the chemical and physical conditions for life to flourish on Earth were at work much earlier than thought, i.e., earlier than 4.4 billion years ago. In recent years, a geochemical model for the first five hundred million years of the history of our planet has been devised that would work as a cradle for life. Serpentinization processes in the Hadean eon affording self-assembled structures and vesicles provides the link between the catalytic properties of the inorganic environment and the impressive chemical potential of formamide to produce complete panels of organic molecules relevant in pre-genetic and pre-metabolic processes. Based on an interdisciplinary approach, we propose basic transformations connecting geochemistry to the chemistry of formamide, and we hint at the possible extension of this perspective to other worlds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Mattia Bizzarri
- Ecological and Biological Sciences Department (DEB), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (B.M.B.); (I.D.); (E.D.M.)
| | - Raffaele Saladino
- Ecological and Biological Sciences Department (DEB), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (B.M.B.); (I.D.); (E.D.M.)
- Correspondence: (R.S.); (J.M.G.-R.)
| | - Ines Delfino
- Ecological and Biological Sciences Department (DEB), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (B.M.B.); (I.D.); (E.D.M.)
| | - Juan Manuel García-Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Estudios Cristalográficos, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas–Universidad de Granada, Avenida de las Palmeras 4, Armilla, 18100 Granada, Spain
- Correspondence: (R.S.); (J.M.G.-R.)
| | - Ernesto Di Mauro
- Ecological and Biological Sciences Department (DEB), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (B.M.B.); (I.D.); (E.D.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Jeilani YA, Nguyen MT. Autocatalysis in Formose Reaction and Formation of RNA Nucleosides. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:11324-11336. [PMID: 33269920 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c07070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Understanding of the abiotic formation of nucleosides under geochemical conditions is currently a major scientific challenge. In this study, free radical pathways for formation of RNA nucleosides with canonical nucleobases are proposed for the first time. The pathways proceed with relatively low energy barriers for the formation of ribose as well as all RNA nucleosides. The formose reaction proceeds either with or without Ca2+ and CaOH+ cations. An autocalytic cycle for the formation of both glycolaldehyde and glyceraldehyde is identified when Ca2+ or CaOH+ cations are involved in the reaction. The results suggest that Ca2+ cations are not involved in the formation of ribose from glyceraldehyde. In addition, these pathways lead to the formation of dihydroxyacetone and d-erythrose. Calculated results show that the glycosidic bond can be formed abiotically between the d-ribose and the nucleobase, where d-ribose forms a cyclic free radical that subsequently reacts with the neutral nucleobase. Involvement of proper nucleobase tautomer is important for the formation of RNA nucleosides. Our approaches provide a solution for the long-standing question of how the glycosidic bond is formed under the abiotic conditions with low energy barriers. The pathways for formation of the sugars without a catalyst are relevant to the formation of sugars in interstellar clouds. On the other hand, the autocalysis in the formose reaction followed by the formation of the nucleosides is appropriate for the abiotic synthesis taking place in the presence of water in the early Earth environment. The Ca2+ and CaOH+ cations appear to be the first nonenzymatic catalytic systems for formation of biomolecules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yassin Aweis Jeilani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hail, Hail, 81451 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia 30314, United States
| | - Minh Tho Nguyen
- Computational Chemistry Research Group and Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000 Vietnam
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Du B, Zhang W, Gu Y. Catalytic effect of water, ammonia, formic acid, or sulfuric acid on the HCN + H2O reaction in the aqueous solution. Struct Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11224-020-01618-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
42
|
Ferus M, Rimmer P, Cassone G, Knížek A, Civiš S, Šponer JE, Ivanek O, Šponer J, Saeidfirozeh H, Kubelík P, Dudžák R, Petera L, Juha L, Pastorek A, Křivková A, Krůs M. One-Pot Hydrogen Cyanide-Based Prebiotic Synthesis of Canonical Nucleobases and Glycine Initiated by High-Velocity Impacts on Early Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:1476-1488. [PMID: 32955922 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Chemical environments of young planets are assumed to be significantly influenced by impacts of bodies lingering after the dissolution of the protoplanetary disk. We explore the chemical consequences of impacts of these bodies under reducing planetary atmospheres dominated by carbon monoxide, methane, and molecular nitrogen. Impacts were simulated by using a terawatt high-power laser system. Our experimental results show that one-pot impact-plasma-initiated synthesis of all the RNA canonical nucleobases and the simplest amino acid glycine is possible in this type of atmosphere in the presence of montmorillonite. This one-pot synthesis begins with de novo formation of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and proceeds through intermediates such as cyanoacetylene and urea.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Ferus
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Paul Rimmer
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cavendish Astrophysics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Giuseppe Cassone
- Institute for Physical-Chemical Processes, National Research Council, Messina, Italy
| | - Antonín Knížek
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Svatopluk Civiš
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Judit E Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Ivanek
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Homa Saeidfirozeh
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kubelík
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Radiation and Chemical Physics, Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Dudžák
- Department of Radiation and Chemical Physics, Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Petera
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Juha
- Department of Radiation and Chemical Physics, Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Pastorek
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Křivková
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Krůs
- Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Singh SV, Vishakantaiah J, Meka JK, Sivaprahasam V, Chandrasekaran V, Thombre R, Thiruvenkatam V, Mallya A, Rajasekhar BN, Muruganantham M, Datey A, Hill H, Bhardwaj A, Jagadeesh G, Reddy KPJ, Mason NJ, Sivaraman B. Shock Processing of Amino Acids Leading to Complex Structures-Implications to the Origin of Life. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25235634. [PMID: 33265981 PMCID: PMC7730583 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25235634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The building blocks of life, amino acids, are believed to have been synthesized in the extreme conditions that prevail in space, starting from simple molecules containing hydrogen, carbon, oxygen and nitrogen. However, the fate and role of amino acids when they are subjected to similar processes largely remain unexplored. Here we report, for the first time, that shock processed amino acids tend to form complex agglomerate structures. Such structures are formed on timescales of about 2 ms due to impact induced shock heating and subsequent cooling. This discovery suggests that the building blocks of life could have self-assembled not just on Earth but on other planetary bodies as a result of impact events. Our study also provides further experimental evidence for the ‘threads’ observed in meteorites being due to assemblages of (bio)molecules arising from impact-induced shocks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Surendra V. Singh
- Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009, India; (S.V.S.); (J.K.M.)
- Discipline of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar 382355, India
| | - Jayaram Vishakantaiah
- Solid State & Structural Chemistry Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India;
| | - Jaya K. Meka
- Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009, India; (S.V.S.); (J.K.M.)
| | - Vijayan Sivaprahasam
- Planetary Science Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009, India; (V.S.); (A.B.)
| | | | - Rebecca Thombre
- Department of Biotechnology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Pune 411005, India;
| | - Vijay Thiruvenkatam
- Discipline of Biological Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar 382355, India;
| | - Ambresh Mallya
- Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India;
| | | | | | - Akshay Datey
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (A.D.); (G.J.); (K.P.J.R.)
| | - Hugh Hill
- Physical Sciences, International Space University, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France;
| | - Anil Bhardwaj
- Planetary Science Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009, India; (V.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Gopalan Jagadeesh
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (A.D.); (G.J.); (K.P.J.R.)
| | - Kalidevapura P. J. Reddy
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (A.D.); (G.J.); (K.P.J.R.)
| | - Nigel J. Mason
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NZ, UK
- Correspondence: (N.J.M.); (B.S.)
| | - Bhalamurugan Sivaraman
- Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009, India; (S.V.S.); (J.K.M.)
- Correspondence: (N.J.M.); (B.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kirschning
- Institut für Organische Chemie und Biomolekulares Wirkstoffzentrum (BMWZ) Leibniz Universität Hannover Schneiderberg 1B 30167 Hannover Deutschland
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Pastorek A, Ferus M, Čuba V, Šrámek O, Ivanek O, Civiš S. Primordial Radioactivity and Prebiotic Chemical Evolution: Effect of γ Radiation on Formamide-Based Synthesis. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:8951-8959. [PMID: 32970439 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c05233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Although the effect of ionizing radiation on prebiotic chemistry is often overlooked, primordial natural radioactivity might have been an important source of energy for various chemical transformations. Estimates of the abundances of short-lived radionuclides on early Earth suggest that the primordial intensity of endogenous terrestrial radioactivity was up to 4 × 103 times higher than it is today. Therefore, we assume that chemical substances in contact with radioactive rocks should therefore undergo radiolysis. The calculations are followed by research investigating the influence of ionizing γ radiation on basic prebiotic substances, including formamide mixed with various clays, which might have played the role of a catalyst and an agent that partially blocked radiation that was potentially destructive for the products. Our explorations of this effect have shown that the irradiation of formamide-clay mixtures at doses of ∼6 kGy produces significant amounts of urea (up to the maximal concentration of approximately 250 mg L-1), which plays a role in HCN-based prebiotic chemistry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Pastorek
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague, Prague 8, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Břehová 78/7, 11519 Prague, Prague 1, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Ferus
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Čuba
- Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Břehová 78/7, 11519 Prague, Prague 1, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Šrámek
- Department of Geophysics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, V Holešovičkách 2, 18000 Prague, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Ivanek
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Svatopluk Civiš
- J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 2155/3, 18200 Prague, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Lercher A, Baazim H, Bergthaler A. Systemic Immunometabolism: Challenges and Opportunities. Immunity 2020; 53:496-509. [PMID: 32937151 PMCID: PMC7491485 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2020.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Over the past 10 years, the field of immunometabolism made great strides to unveil the crucial role of intracellular metabolism in regulating immune cell function. Emerging insights into how systemic inflammation and metabolism influence each other provide a critical additional dimension on the organismal level. Here, we discuss the concept of systemic immunometabolism and review the current understanding of the communication circuits that underlie the reciprocal impact of systemic inflammation and metabolism across organs in inflammatory and infectious diseases, as well as how these mechanisms apply to homeostasis. We present current challenges of systemic immunometabolic research, and in this context, highlight opportunities and put forward ideas to effectively explore organismal physiological complexity in both health and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Lercher
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14 AKH BT25.3, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hatoon Baazim
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14 AKH BT25.3, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Bergthaler
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Lazarettgasse 14 AKH BT25.3, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
Delivery of water and organics by asteroid and comet impacts may have influenced prebiotic chemistry on the early Earth. Some recent prebiotic chemistry experiments emphasize hydrogen cyanide (HCN) as a feedstock molecule for the formation of sugars, ribonucleotides, amino acids, and lipid precursors. Here, we assess how much HCN originally contained in a comet would survive impact, using parametric temperature and pressure profiles together with a time-dependent chemistry model. We find that HCN survival mainly depends on whether the impact is hot enough to thermally decompose H2O into reactive radicals, and HCN is therefore rather insensitive to the details of the chemistry. In the most favorable impacts (low impact angle, low velocity, small radius), this temperature threshold is not reached, and intact delivery of HCN is possible. We estimate the global delivery of HCN during a period of Early and Late Heavy Bombardment of the early Earth, as well as local HCN concentrations achieved by individual impacts. In the latter case, comet impacts can provide prebiotically interesting HCN levels for thousands to millions of years, depending on properties of the impactor and of the local environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zoe R Todd
- Department of Astronomy, Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Karin I Öberg
- Department of Astronomy, Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Mohammadi E, Petera L, Saeidfirozeh H, Knížek A, Kubelík P, Dudžák R, Krůs M, Juha L, Civiš S, Coulon R, Malina O, Ugolotti J, Ranc V, Otyepka M, Šponer J, Ferus M, Šponer JE. Formic Acid, a Ubiquitous but Overlooked Component of the Early Earth Atmosphere. Chemistry 2020; 26:12075-12080. [PMID: 32293757 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202000323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Terrestrial volcanism has been one of the dominant geological forces shaping our planet since its earliest existence. Its associated phenomena, like atmospheric lightning and hydrothermal activity, provide a rich energy reservoir for chemical syntheses. Based on our laboratory simulations, we propose that on the early Earth volcanic activity inevitably led to a remarkable production of formic acid through various independent reaction channels. Large-scale availability of atmospheric formic acid supports the idea of the high-temperature accumulation of formamide in this primordial environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elmira Mohammadi
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Petera
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 3, 18223, Prague 8, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 2030, 12843, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Homa Saeidfirozeh
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 3, 18223, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Antonín Knížek
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 3, 18223, Prague 8, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 2030, 12843, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kubelík
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 3, 18223, Prague 8, Czech Republic.,Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 1999/2, 18221, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Dudžák
- Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 1999/2, 18221, Prague 8, Czech Republic.,Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Za Slovankou 1782/3, 18200, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Krůs
- Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Za Slovankou 1782/3, 18200, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Juha
- Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 1999/2, 18221, Prague 8, Czech Republic.,Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Za Slovankou 1782/3, 18200, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Svatopluk Civiš
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 3, 18223, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Rémi Coulon
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Malina
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Juri Ugolotti
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Ranc
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Otyepka
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic.,Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Ferus
- J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 3, 18223, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Judit E Šponer
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic.,Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Abstract
Layered Double Hydroxides (LDHs) are a relevant class of inorganic lamellar nanomaterials that have attracted significant interest in life science-related applications, due to their highly controllable synthesis and high biocompatibility. Under a general point of view, this class of materials might have played an important role for the origin of life on planet Earth, given their ability to adsorb and concentrate life-relevant molecules in sea environments. It has been speculated that the organic–mineral interactions could have permitted to organize the adsorbed molecules, leading to an increase in their local concentration and finally to the emergence of life. Inspired by nature, material scientists, engineers and chemists have started to leverage the ability of LDHs to absorb and concentrate molecules and biomolecules within life-like compartments, allowing to realize highly-efficient bioinspired platforms, usable for bioanalysis, therapeutics, sensors and bioremediation. This review aims at summarizing the latest evolution of LDHs in this research field under an unprecedented perspective, finally providing possible challenges and directions for future research.
Collapse
|
50
|
Magnetic circular dichroism in Archean atmosphere and asymmetric photolysis of biomolecules: enantiomeric excess of prebiotic sugar. J Biol Phys 2020; 46:283-295. [PMID: 32617795 DOI: 10.1007/s10867-020-09552-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the terrestrial dipolar magnetic field, magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) of UV sunlight by paramagnetic O2 in an Archean atmosphere (mostly CO2 and N2) results in circular polarization anisotropy (~ 10-10). This is used to calculate enantiomeric excess (EE~10-13) of glyceraldehyde (3-carbon sugar) with a model that includes racemic production and asymmetric photolysis of its enantiomers. The sign and magnitude of enantiomeric excess (EE) vary with the Earth's latitude. Unlike random noise fluctuation in spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking (SMSB) models, the sign of EE is deterministic and constant over large areas of prebiotic Earth. The magnitude is several orders greater than the mean amplitude of stochastically fluctuating EE. MCD could provide the initial EE for growth of homochirality by asymmetric autocatalysis.
Collapse
|