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Meléndez-López A, Cruz-Castañeda J, Negrón-Mendoza A, Ramos-Bernal S, Heredia A, Castro-Sanpedro L, Aguilar-Flores D. Gamma irradiation of adenine and guanine adsorbed into hectorite and attapulgite. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16071. [PMID: 37215897 PMCID: PMC10196509 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16071] [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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This study focuses on the radiolysis (up to 36 kGy) of guanine and adenine (nitrogenous bases) adsorbed in hectorite and attapulgite to highlight the potential role of clays as protective agents against ionizing radiation in prebiotic processes. In this framework, the study investigated the nitrogenous bases' behavior in two types of systems: a) aqueous suspension of adenine-clay systems and b) guanine-clay systems in the solid state. This research utilized spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques for its analytical purposes. Regardless of the reaction medium conditions, the results reveal that nitrogenous bases are stable under ionizing irradiation when adsorbed on both clays.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Meléndez-López
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Deleg. Coyoacán, Apartado Postal 70-543, C.P. 04510, CDMX, Mexico
| | - J. Cruz-Castañeda
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Deleg. Coyoacán, Apartado Postal 70-543, C.P. 04510, CDMX, Mexico
| | - A. Negrón-Mendoza
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Deleg. Coyoacán, Apartado Postal 70-543, C.P. 04510, CDMX, Mexico
| | - S. Ramos-Bernal
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Deleg. Coyoacán, Apartado Postal 70-543, C.P. 04510, CDMX, Mexico
| | - A. Heredia
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Col. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Deleg. Coyoacán, Apartado Postal 70-543, C.P. 04510, CDMX, Mexico
| | - L.G. Castro-Sanpedro
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza Campus 2. Batalla 5 de Mayo s/n, Ejército de Oriente Zona Peñón, Iztapalapa, 09230, CDMX, Mexico
| | - D. Aguilar-Flores
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza Campus 2. Batalla 5 de Mayo s/n, Ejército de Oriente Zona Peñón, Iztapalapa, 09230, CDMX, Mexico
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2
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Schwartz SL, Rangel LT, Payette JG, Fournier GP. A Proterozoic microbial origin of extant cyanide-hydrolyzing enzyme diversity. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1130310. [PMID: 37065136 PMCID: PMC10098168 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1130310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to its role as a toxic environmental contaminant, cyanide has been hypothesized to play a key role in prebiotic chemistry and early biogeochemical evolution. While cyanide-hydrolyzing enzymes have been studied and engineered for bioremediation, the extant diversity of these enzymes remains underexplored. Additionally, the age and evolution of microbial cyanide metabolisms is poorly constrained. Here we provide comprehensive phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses of the distribution and evolution of the Class I nitrilases, thiocyanate hydrolases, and nitrile hydratases. Molecular clock analyses indicate that bacterial cyanide-reducing nitrilases were present by the Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic, and were subsequently horizontally transferred into eukaryotes. These results present a broad diversity of microbial enzymes that could be optimized for cyanide bioremediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Schwartz
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
- Graduate Program in Microbiology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Sarah L. Schwartz,
| | - L. Thiberio Rangel
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Jack G. Payette
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Gregory P. Fournier
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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3
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Schulz A, Surkau J. Main group cyanides: from hydrogen cyanide to cyanido-complexes. REV INORG CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1515/revic-2021-0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Homoleptic cyanide compounds exist of almost all main group elements. While the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals form cyanide salts, the cyanides of the lighter main group elements occur mainly as covalent compounds. This review gives an overview of the status quo of main group element cyanides and cyanido complexes. Information about syntheses are included as well as applications, special substance properties, bond lengths, spectroscopic characteristics and computations. Cyanide chemistry is presented mainly from the field of inorganic chemistry, but aspects of chemical biology and astrophysics are also discussed in relation to cyano compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Schulz
- Chemie , Universität Rostock , Albert-Einstein-Straße 3a, 18059 Rostock , Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , Germany
| | - Jonas Surkau
- Chemie , Universität Rostock , Albert-Einstein-Straße 3a, 18059 Rostock , Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , Germany
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4
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Did Homocysteine Take Part in the Start of the Synthesis of Peptides on the Early Earth? Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12040555. [PMID: 35454145 PMCID: PMC9031595 DOI: 10.3390/biom12040555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Unlike its shorter analog, cysteine, and its methylated derivative, methionine, homocysteine is not today a proteinogenic amino acid. However, this thiol containing amino acid is capable of forming an activated species intramolecularly. Its thiolactone could have made it an interesting molecular building block at the origin of life on Earth. Here we study the cyclization of homocysteine in water and show theoretically and experimentally that in an acidic medium the proportion of thiolactone is significant. This thiolactone easily reacts with amino acids to form dipeptides. We envision that these reactions may help interpret why a methionine residue is introduced at the start of all protein synthesis.
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5
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Crespi S, Vadivel D, Bellisario A, Dondi D. Computational Study of the Stability of Natural Amino Acid isomers. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2021; 51:287-298. [PMID: 34739664 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-021-09615-2] [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: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The secular debate on the origin of life on our planet represents one of the open challenges for the scientific community. In this endeavour, chemistry has a pivotal role in disclosing novel scenarios that allow us to understand how the formation of simple organic molecules would be possible in the early primitive geological ages of Earth. Amino acids play a crucial role in biological processes. They are known to be formed in experiments simulating primitive conditions and were found in meteoric samples retrieved throughout the years. Understanding their formation is a key step for prebiotic chemistry. Following this reasoning, we performed a computational investigation over 100'000 structural isomers of natural amino acids. The results we have found suggest that natural amino acids are among the most thermodynamically stable structures and, therefore, one of the most probable ones to be synthesised among their possible isomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Crespi
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dhanalakshmi Vadivel
- Dipartimento Di Chimica, Università Di Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy. .,Istituto Nazionale Di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Via Bassi 6, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Alfredo Bellisario
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Molecular Biophysics, Husargatan 3, 752 37, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Daniele Dondi
- Dipartimento Di Chimica, Università Di Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100, Pavia, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale Di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Via Bassi 6, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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6
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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.
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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;
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7
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Abstract
HCN-derived polymers are a heterogeneous group of complex substances synthesized from pure HCN; from its salts; from its oligomers, specifically its trimer and tetramer, amino-nalono-nitrile (AMN) and diamino-maleo-nitrile (DAMN), respectively; or from its hydrolysis products, such as formamide, under a wide range of experimental conditions. The characteristics and properties of HCN-derived polymers depend directly on the synthetic conditions used for their production and, by extension, their potential applications. These puzzling systems have been known mainly in the fields of prebiotic chemistry and in studies on the origins of life and astrobiology since the first prebiotic production of adenine by Oró in the early years of the 1960s. However, the first reference regarding their possible role in prebiotic chemistry was mentioned in the 19th century by Pflüger. Currently, HCN-derived polymers are considered keys in the formation of the first and primeval protometabolic and informational systems, and they may be among the most readily formed organic macromolecules in the solar system. In addition, HCN-derived polymers have attracted a growing interest in materials science due to their potential biomedical applications as coatings and adhesives; they have also been proposed as valuable models for multifunctional materials with emergent properties such as semi-conductivity, ferroelectricity, catalysis and photocatalysis, and heterogeneous organo-synthesis. However, the real structures and the formation pathways of these fascinating substances have not yet been fully elucidated; several models based on either computational approaches or spectroscopic and analytical techniques have endeavored to shed light on their complete nature. In this review, a comprehensive perspective of HCN-derived polymers is presented, taking into account all the aspects indicated above.
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9
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Bläsing K, Harloff J, Schulz A, Stoffers A, Stoer P, Villinger A. Salze von HCN‐Cyanid‐Aggregaten: [CN(HCN)
2
]
−
und [CN(HCN)
3
]
−. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201915206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Bläsing
- Anorganische Chemie Institut für Chemie Universität Rostock A.-Einstein-Str. 3a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
| | - Jörg Harloff
- Anorganische Chemie Institut für Chemie Universität Rostock A.-Einstein-Str. 3a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
| | - Axel Schulz
- Anorganische Chemie Institut für Chemie Universität Rostock A.-Einstein-Str. 3a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
- Materialdesign Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse an der Universität Rostock A.-Einstein-Str. 29a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
| | - Alrik Stoffers
- Anorganische Chemie Institut für Chemie Universität Rostock A.-Einstein-Str. 3a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
| | - Philip Stoer
- Anorganische Chemie Institut für Chemie Universität Rostock A.-Einstein-Str. 3a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
| | - Alexander Villinger
- Anorganische Chemie Institut für Chemie Universität Rostock A.-Einstein-Str. 3a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
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10
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Bläsing K, Harloff J, Schulz A, Stoffers A, Stoer P, Villinger A. Salts of HCN-Cyanide Aggregates: [CN(HCN) 2 ] - and [CN(HCN) 3 ] . Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:10508-10513. [PMID: 32027458 PMCID: PMC7317722 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201915206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Although pure hydrogen cyanide can spontaneously polymerize or even explode, when initiated by small amounts of bases (e.g. CN- ), the reaction of liquid HCN with [WCC]CN (WCC=weakly coordinating cation=Ph4 P, Ph3 PNPPh3 =PNP) was investigated. Depending on the cation, it was possible to extract salts containing the formal dihydrogen tricyanide [CN(HCN)2 ]- and trihydrogen tetracyanide ions [CN(HCN)3 ]- from liquid HCN when a fast crystallization was carried out at low temperatures. X-ray structure elucidation revealed hydrogen-bridged linear [CN(HCN)2 ]- and Y-shaped [CN(HCN)3 ]- molecular ions in the crystal. Both anions can be considered members of highly labile cyanide-HCN solvates of the type [CN(HCN)n ]- (n=1, 2, 3 …) as well as formal polypseudohalide ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Bläsing
- Anorganische Chemie, Institut für Chemie, Universität Rostock, A.-Einstein-Strasse 3a, 18059, Rostock, Germany
| | - Jörg Harloff
- Anorganische Chemie, Institut für Chemie, Universität Rostock, A.-Einstein-Strasse 3a, 18059, Rostock, Germany
| | - Axel Schulz
- Anorganische Chemie, Institut für Chemie, Universität Rostock, A.-Einstein-Strasse 3a, 18059, Rostock, Germany.,Materialdesign, Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse an der Universität Rostock, A.-Einstein-Strasse 29a, 18059, Rostock, Germany
| | - Alrik Stoffers
- Anorganische Chemie, Institut für Chemie, Universität Rostock, A.-Einstein-Strasse 3a, 18059, Rostock, Germany
| | - Philip Stoer
- Anorganische Chemie, Institut für Chemie, Universität Rostock, A.-Einstein-Strasse 3a, 18059, Rostock, Germany
| | - Alexander Villinger
- Anorganische Chemie, Institut für Chemie, Universität Rostock, A.-Einstein-Strasse 3a, 18059, Rostock, Germany
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11
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The role of primordial atmosphere composition in organic matter delivery to early Earth. RENDICONTI LINCEI. SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12210-020-00878-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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12
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Sasselov DD, Grotzinger JP, Sutherland JD. The origin of life as a planetary phenomenon. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaax3419. [PMID: 32076638 PMCID: PMC7002131 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax3419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
We advocate an integrative approach between laboratory experiments in prebiotic chemistry and geologic, geochemical, and astrophysical observations to help assemble a robust chemical pathway to life that can be reproduced in the laboratory. The cyanosulfidic chemistry scenario described here was developed by such an integrative iterative process. We discuss how it maps onto evolving planetary surface environments on early Earth and Mars and the value of comparative planetary evolution. The results indicate that Mars can offer direct evidence for geochemical conditions similar to prebiotic Earth, whose early record has been erased. The Jezero crater is now the chosen landing site for NASA's Mars 2020 rover, making this an extraordinary opportunity for a breakthrough in understanding life's origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitar D. Sasselov
- Department of Astronomy, Harvard University, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - John P. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - John D. Sutherland
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Ave., Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
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13
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Iqubal MA, Sharma R, Kamaluddin, Jheeta S. Synthesis of Nucleic Acid Bases by Metal Ferrite Nanoparticles from a Single Carbon Atom Precursor Molecule: Formamide. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2019; 49:147-162. [PMID: 31444635 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-019-09585-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The synthesis of prebiotic molecules from simple precursors is believed to be a crucial scheme in order to study the origin of life processes. The present study describes the one-pot synthesis of purine and pyrimidine nucleic acid bases in the presence of pre-biologically significant binary metal oxide nanoparticles, metal ferrites, namely NiFe2O4, CoFe2O4, CuFe2O4, ZnFe2O4 and MnFe2O4. The products identified are cytosine, isocytosine, 4(3H)-pyrimidinone, adenine, hypoxanthine and purine. The ability of isocytosine (a constitutional isomer of cytosine) to recognize cytosine and guanine through normal and reversed Watson-Crick pairing respectively, demonstrates an important storyline for the genesis of ancient nucleic acids. The relevance of other synthesized nucleic acid bases with respect to the origin of life is also discussed. The divalent metal ions in iron oxide make it an appropriate catalytic system because it demonstrates excellent catalytic performance for the nucleic acid bases synthesis with significantly high yield, as compared to pure iron oxide and some other minerals like silica, alumina, manganese oxides and double metal cyanide complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Asif Iqubal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, UK, 247 667, India.
- Interfield Laboratories, Plot no: C4, Green Industrial Park, Gambheeram Village, Anandapuram Mandal, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, 531163, India.
| | - Rachana Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, UK, 247 667, India
| | - Kamaluddin
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, UK, 247 667, India
| | - Sohan Jheeta
- Network of Researchers on Chemical Evolution of Life, Leeds, LS7 3RB, UK
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14
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Benallou A. A new mechanistic insight of DNA base adenine formation from pentamer HCN in the gas phase of interstellar clouds. JOURNAL OF TAIBAH UNIVERSITY FOR SCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/16583655.2018.1543163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Abdelilah Benallou
- Team of Chemoinformatics Research and Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Physical and Chemistry Lab, Faculty of Science, University Chouaib Doukkali, El Jadida, Morocco
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15
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Tosca NJ, Ahmed IA, Tutolo BM, Ashpitel A, Hurowitz JA. Magnetite Authigenesis and the Warming of Early Mars. NATURE GEOSCIENCE 2018; 11:635-639. [PMID: 30123317 PMCID: PMC6092749 DOI: 10.1038/s41561-018-0203-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The Curiosity rover has documented lacustrine sediments at Gale Crater, but how liquid water became physically stable on the early Martian surface is a matter of significant debate. To constrain the composition of the early Martian atmosphere during sediment deposition, we experimentally investigated the nucleation and growth kinetics of authigenic Fe-minerals in Gale Crater mudstones. Experiments show that pH variations within anoxic basaltic waters trigger a series of mineral transformations that rapidly generate magnetite and H2(aq). Magnetite continues to form through this mechanism despite high PCO2 and supersaturation with respect to Fe-carbonate minerals. Reactive transport simulations that incorporate these experimental data show that groundwater infiltration into a lake equilibrated with a CO2-rich atmosphere can trigger the production of both magnetite and H2(aq) in the mudstones. H2(aq), generated at concentrations that would readily exsolve from solution, is capable of increasing annual mean surface temperatures above freezing in CO2-dominated atmospheres. We therefore suggest that magnetite authigenesis could have provided a short-term feedback for stabilizing liquid water, as well as a principal feedstock for biologically relevant chemical reactions, at the early Martian surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Tosca
- Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Imad A.M. Ahmed
- Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Benjamin M. Tutolo
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Alice Ashpitel
- Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Joel A. Hurowitz
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
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16
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Shapshak P. Astrobiology - an opposing view. Bioinformation 2018; 14:346-349. [PMID: 30237680 PMCID: PMC6137566 DOI: 10.6026/97320630014346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of quantum computers and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is imperative for use in space exploration and astrobiology
investigations. Considerable progress has been made since the commencement of origin of life laboratory and theoretical studies in the
mid 20th century. However, the sheer amount of data amassed to date in all these studies including exoplanetary and astrobiological
studies is enormous and increasing steadily. Thus, there is the need for AI and quantum computers. As AI develops, it will become
crucial in the development of the statistical and database programs that are indispensable to analyze the huge quantity of cumulative
data. Diverse biotic and geochemical processes have been shown to produce methane on the Earth. Elsewhere in the solar system, on
other planets (e.g. Mars) and moons (e.g. Titan), as well as on exoplanets, abiotic processes are considered the primary sources of
methane. Astronomers and astro-biologists infer that the presence of methane supports the possibility of the presence of at least
microbial life. In addition, on the Earth, there are also degradative reactions that include smog-related compounds and hazes that are
produced as artefacts of intrinsic methane geochemistry as well as due to human footprint. Astronomers and astro-biologists envision
life, away from the Earth, elsewhere in the solar system and on exoplanets, to occur under conditions similar or related to terrestrial life
(goldilocks zone) conditions. These properties that are compatible with life as we know it on the Earth, include planetary orbits,
gravitation, star radiant energy, presence of liquid water, and compatible temperatures and pressures, found on Earth. Generally,
extraterrestrial life is also considered to resemble the biochemistry, molecular biology, and physiology of life on Earth - thus the focus
on detection of supposed biosignatures of microbial life that resemble the Earth's. Nevertheless a crucial factor is absent in these
deliberations - viruses. On the Earth, viruses that infect Archaea and bacteria form local and widespread global ecosystems. These
viruses play a crucial role and facilitate the molecular transfer of host genes among various hosts. This essential function is
underestimated in evolutionary as well as astrobiological speculations. Thus, it is of substantial importance to consider the roles that
viruses may have played during the origin of life as well as in any exobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Shapshak
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33606, USA
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17
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A Dimer of Hydrogen Cyanide Stabilized by a Lewis Acid. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 57:9170-9175. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201804193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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18
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Bläsing K, Bresien J, Labbow R, Schulz A, Villinger A. Stabilisierung eines Blausäure-Dimers mit einer Lewis-Säure. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201804193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Bläsing
- Anorganische Chemie; Institut für Chemie; Universität Rostock; A.-Einstein-Straße 3a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
| | - Jonas Bresien
- Anorganische Chemie; Institut für Chemie; Universität Rostock; A.-Einstein-Straße 3a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
| | - René Labbow
- Anorganische Chemie; Institut für Chemie; Universität Rostock; A.-Einstein-Straße 3a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
| | - Axel Schulz
- Anorganische Chemie; Institut für Chemie; Universität Rostock; A.-Einstein-Straße 3a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
- Materialdesign; Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse, an der Universität Rostock; A.-Einstein-Straße 29a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
| | - Alexander Villinger
- Anorganische Chemie; Institut für Chemie; Universität Rostock; A.-Einstein-Straße 3a 18059 Rostock Deutschland
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Bhushan B, Nayak A, Kamaluddin. Catalytic Role of Manganese Oxides in Prebiotic Nucleobases Synthesis from Formamide. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2016; 46:203-13. [PMID: 26758444 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-015-9480-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Origin of life processes might have begun with the formation of important biomonomers, such as amino acids and nucleotides, from simple molecules present in the prebiotic environment and their subsequent condensation to biopolymers. While studying the prebiotic synthesis of naturally occurring purine and pyrimidine derivatives from formamide, the manganese oxides demonstrated not only good binding for formamide but demonstrated novel catalytic activity. A novel one pot manganese oxide catalyzed synthesis of pyrimidine nucleobases like thymine is reported along with the formation of other nucleobases like purine, 9-(hydroxyacetyl) purine, cytosine, 4(3 H)-pyrimidinone and adenine in acceptable amounts. The work reported is significant in the sense that the synthesis of thymine has exhibited difficulties especially under one pot conditions and also such has been reported only under the catalytic activity of TiO2. The lower oxides of manganese were reported to show higher potential as catalysts and their existence were favored by the reducing atmospheric conditions prevalent on early Earth; thereby confirming the hypothesis that mineral having metals in reduced form might have been more active during the course of chemical evolution. Our results further confirm the role of formamide as a probable precursor for the formation of purine and pyrimidine bases during the course of chemical evolution and origin of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brij Bhushan
- Department of Agrifood Engineering and Biotecnology, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), 08860, Barcelona, Castelldefels, Spain.
| | - Arunima Nayak
- Energy and Environment Department, Innovació i Recerca Industrial i Sostenible, -08860, Castelldefels, Spain
| | - Kamaluddin
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667(U.K.), India
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Šponer JE, Šponer J, Nováková O, Brabec V, Šedo O, Zdráhal Z, Costanzo G, Pino S, Saladino R, Di Mauro E. Emergence of the First Catalytic Oligonucleotides in a Formamide-Based Origin Scenario. Chemistry 2016; 22:3572-86. [PMID: 26807661 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201503906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
50 years after the historical Miller-Urey experiment, the formamide-based scenario is perhaps the most powerful concurrent hypothesis for the origin of life on our planet besides the traditional HCN-based concept. The information accumulated during the last 15 years in this topic is astonishingly growing and nowadays the formamide-based model represents one of the most complete and coherent pathways leading from simple prebiotic precursors up to the first catalytically active RNA molecules. In this work, we overview the major events of this long pathway that have emerged from recent experimental and theoretical studies, mainly concentrating on the mechanistic, methodological, and structural aspects of this research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit E Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Královopolská 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic. .,CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Campus Bohunice, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Královopolská 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic.,CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Campus Bohunice, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Olga Nováková
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Královopolská 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Viktor Brabec
- Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Královopolská 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Šedo
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Campus Bohunice, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zbyněk Zdráhal
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Campus Bohunice, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Giovanna Costanzo
- Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari, CNR, P.le Aldo Moro, 5, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Samanta Pino
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Raffaele Saladino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ecologiche e Biologiche, Università della Tuscia, Via San Camillo De Lellis, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Ernesto Di Mauro
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", "Sapienza" Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, Rome, 00185, Italy
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Zahnle KJ, Marley MS. METHANE, CARBON MONOXIDE, AND AMMONIA IN BROWN DWARFS AND SELF-LUMINOUS GIANT PLANETS. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1088/0004-637x/797/1/41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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22
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Shivani, Misra A, Tandon P. Reaction between CH2 and HCCN: a theoretical approach to acrylonitrile formation in the interstellar medium. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2014; 44:143-57. [PMID: 25416678 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-014-9373-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Accepted: 10/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Acrylonitrile (CH2CHCN) was first detected in dense molecular cloud SgrB2. The synthesis of this interstellar molecule is reported to be quite difficult. Therefore, in the present work an attempt has been made to explore the possibility of formation of acrylonitrile from some simple molecules and radicals detected in interstellar space by radical-radical interaction scheme, both in the gas phase and in the icy grains. All calculations are performed using quantum chemical methods with density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-311G (d,p) level and Møller-Plesset perturbation theory at the MP2/6-311G (d,p) level. In the discussed chemical pathway, the reaction is found to be totally exothermic and barrier less giving rise to a high probability of acrylonitrile formation in Interstellar space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani
- Department of Mathematics & Astronomy, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India
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23
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Simple Organics and Biomonomers Identified in HCN Polymers: An Overview. Life (Basel) 2013; 3:421-48. [PMID: 25369814 PMCID: PMC4187177 DOI: 10.3390/life3030421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2013] [Revised: 06/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is a ubiquitous molecule in the Universe. It is a compound that is easily produced in significant yields in prebiotic simulation experiments using a reducing atmosphere. HCN can spontaneously polymerise under a wide set of experimental conditions. It has even been proposed that HCN polymers could be present in objects such as asteroids, moons, planets and, in particular, comets. Moreover, it has been suggested that these polymers could play an important role in the origin of life. In this review, the simple organics and biomonomers that have been detected in HCN polymers, the analytical techniques and procedures that have been used to detect and characterise these molecules and an exhaustive classification of the experimental/environmental conditions that favour the formation of HCN polymers are summarised. Nucleobases, amino acids, carboxylic acids, cofactor derivatives and other compounds have been identified in HCN polymers. The great molecular diversity found in HCN polymers encourages their placement at the central core of a plausible protobiological system.
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Ruiz-Bermejo M, Osuna-Esteban S, Zorzano MP. Role of ferrocyanides in the prebiotic synthesis of α-amino acids. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2013; 43:191-206. [PMID: 23780697 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-013-9336-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the synthesis of α-amino acids under possible prebiotic terrestrial conditions in the presence of dissolved iron (II) in a simulated prebiotic ocean. An aerosol-liquid cycle with a prebiotic atmosphere is shown to produce amino acids via Strecker synthesis with relatively high yields. However, in the presence of iron, the HCN was captured in the form of a ferrocyanide, partially inhibiting the formation of amino acids. We showed how HCN captured as Prussian Blue (or another complex compound) may, in turn, have served as the HCN source when exposed to UV radiation, allowing for the sustained production of amino acids in conjunction with the production of oxyhydroxides that precipitate as by-products. We conclude that ferrocyanides and related compounds may have played a significant role as intermediate products in the prebiotic formation of amino acids and oxyhydroxides, such as those that are found in iron-containing soils and that the aerosol cycle of the primitive ocean may have enhanced the yield of the amino acid production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Ruiz-Bermejo
- Departamento de Evolución Molecular, Centro de Astrobiología Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas INTA-CSIC), Carretera Torrejón-Ajalvir, Km 4, 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.
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Abstract
SynopsisBecause of both the energy costs and the slowness of the reactions of the nitrogenase complex compared with those involving some form of combined nitrogen (oxidised or reduced), we argue that the evolution of nitrogen-fixing organisms required an environment which was very limited in combined nitrogen. This is thought to have occurred after phototrophy evolved, but before water was used as a hydrogen donor (and therefore oxygen was present in the atmosphere). After oxygenic photosynthesis evolved, the need for a high level of biological nitrogen-fixation remained, since abiotic inputs were insufficient to keep pace with the rapidly evolving biomass (flora and fauna). Symbiotic fixation probably first evolved in the form of casual associations between cyanobacteria and most other groups of plants. By inhabiting the sporophytic generation of evolving land plants (cycads in particular), protection against nitrogenase-inactivating oxygen and a more desiccating environment was achieved simultaneously.We envisage nodulated plants arising by the transfer ofnifgenes into tumour-forming bacteria. In the case of legumes, these would be ancestors of extant agrobacteria, which gain entry into their hostsviawounds. Co-evolution of symbionts from nitrogen-fixing tumours has taken several routes, leading to extant nodules differing in mode of infection, structure and physiology. Evolution towards optimisation of oxygen usage is continuing.Nitrogen-fixing symbiosis in animal systems is only advantageous in specialised ecological niches in which wood is the sole dietary intake. In the case of shipworms, the symbiosis has many of the advanced features associated with nitrogen fixing root nodules.
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Khazaei M, Liang Y, Bahramy MS, Pichierri F, Esfarjani K, Kawazoe Y. High-pressure phases of hydrogen cyanide: formation of hydrogenated carbon nitride polymers and layers and their electronic properties. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2011; 23:405403. [PMID: 21937792 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/23/40/405403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We have performed a set of first-principles simulations to consider the possible phase transitions in molecular crystals of HCN under high pressure. Our calculations reveal several transition paths from the orthorhombic phase to tetragonal and then to triclinic phases. The transitions from the orthorhombic to the tetragonal phases are of the second order, whereas those from the tetragonal to the triclinic phases turn out to be of the first-order type and characterized by an abrupt decrease in volume. Our calculations show that, by adjustment of the temperature and pressure of the HCN molecular crystal, novel layered and polymeric crystals with insulating, semiconducting or metallic properties can be found. Based on our simulation results, two different crystal formation mechanisms are deduced. The stabilities of the predicted structures at ambient pressure are further assessed by performing phonon or MD simulations. In addition, the electron transport properties of the predicted polymers are obtained using the non-equilibrium Green's function technique combined with density functional theory. The results show that the polymers have metallic-like I-V characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Khazaei
- Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.
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27
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Shanker U, Bhushan B, Bhattacharjee G. Formation of nucleobases from formamide in the presence of iron oxides: implication in chemical evolution and origin of life. ASTROBIOLOGY 2011; 11:225-233. [PMID: 21480791 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2010.0530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Simple compounds like HCN, which have one C and one N, are proposed as the probable precursors for biomonomers. Formamide, a hydrolysis product of HCN, is known as the precursor of various biologically important compounds, for example, nucleobases (purines and pyrimidines). In this paper, we report our results on the synthesis of nucleobases, adenine, cytosine, purine, 9-(hydroxyacetyl) purine, and 4(3H)-pyrimidinone from formamide, using iron oxide (hematite) and oxide hydroxides (goethite and akaganeite) as a catalyst. Goethite and hematite produced purine in higher yield. The products formed were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry techniques. Results of our study reveal that iron oxides might have worked as efficient prebiotic catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uma Shanker
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India
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29
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Vasilescu D, Adrian-Scotto M. From Democritus to Schrödinger: a reflection on quantum molecular modeling. Struct Chem 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s11224-010-9665-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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30
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Abstract
Struvite, MgNH(4)PO(4).6H(2)O, rather than apatite or amorphous calcium phosphate is precipitated when phosphate is added to seawater containing more than 0.01M NH(4)(+) ions. Struvite may have precipitated from evaporating seawater on the primitive earth, and may have been important for prebiotic phosphorylation.
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Abstract
Earth is the one known example of an inhabited planet and to current knowledge the likeliest site of the one known origin of life. Here we discuss the origin of Earth's atmosphere and ocean and some of the environmental conditions of the early Earth as they may relate to the origin of life. A key punctuating event in the narrative is the Moon-forming impact, partly because it made Earth for a short time absolutely uninhabitable, and partly because it sets the boundary conditions for Earth's subsequent evolution. If life began on Earth, as opposed to having migrated here, it would have done so after the Moon-forming impact. What took place before the Moon formed determined the bulk properties of the Earth and probably determined the overall compositions and sizes of its atmospheres and oceans. What took place afterward animated these materials. One interesting consequence of the Moon-forming impact is that the mantle is devolatized, so that the volatiles subsequently fell out in a kind of condensation sequence. This ensures that the volatiles were concentrated toward the surface so that, for example, the oceans were likely salty from the start. We also point out that an atmosphere generated by impact degassing would tend to have a composition reflective of the impacting bodies (rather than the mantle), and these are almost without exception strongly reducing and volatile-rich. A consequence is that, although CO- or methane-rich atmospheres are not necessarily stable as steady states, they are quite likely to have existed as long-lived transients, many times. With CO comes abundant chemical energy in a metastable package, and with methane comes hydrogen cyanide and ammonia as important albeit less abundant gases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Zahnle
- Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, MS 245-3, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA.
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32
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Cleaves HJ, Chalmers JH, Lazcano A, Miller SL, Bada JL. A reassessment of prebiotic organic synthesis in neutral planetary atmospheres. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2008; 38:105-15. [PMID: 18204914 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-007-9120-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2007] [Accepted: 12/09/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The action of an electric discharge on reduced gas mixtures such as H(2)O, CH(4) and NH(3) (or N(2)) results in the production of several biologically important organic compounds including amino acids. However, it is now generally held that the early Earth's atmosphere was likely not reducing, but was dominated by N(2) and CO(2). The synthesis of organic compounds by the action of electric discharges on neutral gas mixtures has been shown to be much less efficient. We show here that contrary to previous reports, significant amounts of amino acids are produced from neutral gas mixtures. The low yields previously reported appear to be the outcome of oxidation of the organic compounds during hydrolytic workup by nitrite and nitrate produced in the reactions. The yield of amino acids is greatly increased when oxidation inhibitors, such as ferrous iron, are added prior to hydrolysis. Organic synthesis from neutral atmospheres may have depended on the oceanic availability of oxidation inhibitors as well as on the nature of the primitive atmosphere itself. The results reported here suggest that endogenous synthesis from neutral atmospheres may be more important than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- H James Cleaves
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, 20015, USA
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Abstract
Biology arose as a spontaneous development from the chemistry of the early Earth by Free Energy-driven processes that occurred in common environments involving significant populations of systems. Molecular imprinting to matrices is capable of catalysis of polymer formation and reproduction that, in association with self-assembled membranes, could lead to proto-enzymes, proto-ribosomes, and proto-cells. Proto-cells would evolve via processes analogous to Darwinian natural selection. These hypotheses are testable by controlled laboratory experiments. What we call "life" is the sum of properties of such highly evolved systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul C Lauterbur
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA.
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34
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Roy D, Najafian K, von Ragué Schleyer P. Chemical evolution: the mechanism of the formation of adenine under prebiotic conditions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:17272-7. [PMID: 17951429 PMCID: PMC2077245 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0708434104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Fundamental building blocks of life have been detected extraterrestrially, even in interstellar space, and are known to form nonenzymatically. Thus, the HCN pentamer, adenine (a base present in DNA and RNA), was first isolated in abiogenic experiments from an aqueous solution of ammonia and HCN in 1960. Although many variations of the reaction conditions giving adenine have been reported since then, the mechanistic details remain unexplored. Our predictions are based on extensive computations of sequences of reaction steps along several possible mechanistic routes. H(2)O- or NH(3)-catalyzed pathways are more favorable than uncatalyzed neutral or anionic alternatives, and they may well have been the major source of adenine on primitive earth. Our report provides a more detailed understanding of some of the chemical processes involved in chemical evolution, and a partial answer to the fundamental question of molecular biogenesis. Our investigation should trigger similar explorations of the detailed mechanisms of the abiotic formation of the remaining nucleic acid bases and other biologically relevant molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debjani Roy
- Center for Computational Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2525; and
| | - Katayoun Najafian
- Department of Chemistry, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada B4P 2R6
| | - Paul von Ragué Schleyer
- Center for Computational Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2525; and
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35
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Adrian-Scotto M, Vasilescu D. Density functional theory study of (HCN)n clusters up to n=10. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theochem.2006.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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36
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Bernstein M. Prebiotic materials from on and off the early Earth. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2006; 361:1689-700; discussion 1700-2. [PMID: 17008210 PMCID: PMC1664678 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2006.1913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the greatest puzzles of all time is how did life arise? It has been universally presumed that life arose in a soup rich in carbon compounds, but from where did these organic molecules come? In this article, I will review proposed terrestrial sources of prebiotic organic molecules, such as Miller-Urey synthesis (including how they would depend on the oxidation state of the atmosphere) and hydrothermal vents and also input from space. While the former is perhaps better known and more commonly taught in school, we now know that comet and asteroid dust deliver tons of organics to the Earth every day, therefore this flux of reduced carbon from space probably also played a role in making the Earth habitable. We will compare and contrast the types and abundances of organics from on and off the Earth given standard assumptions. Perhaps each process provided specific compounds (amino acids, sugars, amphiphiles) that were directly related to the origin or early evolution of life. In any case, whether planetary, nebular or interstellar, we will consider how one might attempt to distinguish between abiotic organic molecules from actual signs of life as part of a robotic search for life in the Solar System.
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37
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher F Chyba
- SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, and Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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38
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Abstract
We show that the escape of hydrogen from early Earth's atmosphere likely occurred at rates slower by two orders of magnitude than previously thought. The balance between slow hydrogen escape and volcanic outgassing could have maintained a hydrogen mixing ratio of more than 30%. The production of prebiotic organic compounds in such an atmosphere would have been more efficient than either exogenous delivery or synthesis in hydrothermal systems. The organic soup in the oceans and ponds on early Earth would have been a more favorable place for the origin of life than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Tian
- Astrophysical and Planetary Science Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
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39
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Zhu HS, Ho JJ. Ab Initio Study of the Formation of Glycine via Amino Acetonitrile and Amino-Cyano-Acetic Acid. J Phys Chem A 2004. [DOI: 10.1021/jp037718w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Shun Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, 88, Section 4, Tingchow Road, Taipei 116, Taiwan
| | - Jia-Jen Ho
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, 88, Section 4, Tingchow Road, Taipei 116, Taiwan
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40
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Miyakawa S, Yamanashi H, Kobayashi K, Cleaves HJ, Miller SL. Prebiotic synthesis from CO atmospheres: implications for the origins of life. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2002; 99:14628-31. [PMID: 12409606 PMCID: PMC137469 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.192568299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Most models of the primitive atmosphere around the time life originated suggest that the atmosphere was dominated by carbon dioxide, largely based on the notion that the atmosphere was derived via volcanic outgassing, and that those gases were similar to those found in modern volcanic effluent. These models tend to downplay the possibility of a strongly reducing atmosphere, which had been thought to be important for prebiotic synthesis and thus the origin of life. However, there is no definitive geologic evidence for the oxidation state of the early atmosphere and bioorganic compounds are not efficiently synthesized from CO(2) atmospheres. In the present study, it was shown that a CO-CO(2)-N(2)-H(2)O atmosphere can give a variety of bioorganic compounds with yields comparable to those obtained from a strongly reducing atmosphere. Atmospheres containing carbon monoxide might therefore have been conducive to prebiotic synthesis and perhaps the origin of life. CO-dominant atmospheres could have existed if the production rate of CO from impacts of extraterrestrial materials were high or if the upper mantle had been more reduced than today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Miyakawa
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, Japan
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41
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Kuma K, Paplawsky W, Gedulin B, Arrhenius G. Mixed-valence hydroxides as bioorganic host minerals. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2001; 19:573-602. [PMID: 11536621 DOI: 10.1007/bf01808119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
A range of naturally occurring divalent-trivalent metal cation hydroxides and modified artificial analogs have been synthesized and characterized. Structural and chemical properties of these minerals, determining their capability to selectively concentrate, order and alter molecules of prebiotic interest, include their anion exchange capacity and specificity, photochemical reactivity, production of nascent hydrogen, and catalytic efficiency. Properties relevant to these functions have been investigated and are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Kuma
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0220, USA
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42
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Ferris JP, Hagan WJ. HCN and chemical evolution: the possible role of cyano compounds in prebiotic synthesis. Tetrahedron 2001; 40:1093-120. [PMID: 11541961 DOI: 10.1016/s0040-4020(01)99315-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 291] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J P Ferris
- Department of Chemistry, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12181, USA
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Delano JW. Redox history of the Earth's interior since approximately 3900 Ma: implications for prebiotic molecules. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2001; 31:311-41. [PMID: 11599174 DOI: 10.1023/a:1011895600380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The history of the oxidation state in the Earth's mantle has been constrained using (a) the whole-rock abundances of Cr and V in ancient volcanics, and (b) the composition of Cr-rich spinels in ancient volcanics. Results indicate that the Earth's mantle has been at-or-near its current oxidation state (+/- 0.5 log-unit fO2) since at least 3600 Ma, and probably since at least 3960 Ma. Volatiles released into the Earth's atmosphere by high-temperature (T > or = 1300 K) volcanism during this time have been dominated by H2O, CO2, and SO2. This blend of volatiles is known to provide smaller yields of prebiotic, organic molecules by atmospheric and surface processes than gas mixtures containing higher concentrations of reduced species such as H2, CO, and H2S (e.g., Miller, 1998; Zolotov and Shock, 2000). The results discussed in this article independently support the conclusion of Canil (1997, 1999). If the atmosphere was reducing (e.g., CH4, H2, H2S, NH3, CO) at any time during the last approximately 3900 Ma, high-temperature volcanic outgassing was not the cause of it.
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Affiliation(s)
- J W Delano
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, New York Center for Studies on the Origins of Life, University at Albany (SUNY), Albany, NY 12222-0001, USA.
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Yamagata Y. Prebiotic formation of ADP and ATP from AMP, calcium phosphates and cyanate in aqueous solution. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 1999; 29:511-20. [PMID: 10573691 DOI: 10.1023/a:1006672232730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Adenosine-5'-triphosphate was synthesized by the phosphorylation of adenosine-5'-diphosphate in aqueous solution containing cyanate as a condensing reagent and insoluble calcium phosphate produced from phosphate and calcium chloride. In a similar manner, adenosine-5'-diphosphate was synthesized from adenosine-5'-monophosphate. When the experiment was carried out in the conditions of 4 degrees C and pH 5.75, the formation of adenosine-5'-diphosphate and adenosine-5'-triphosphate from adenosine-5'-monophosphate was observed in the yields of 19 and 7%, respectively. The other nucleoside-5'-triphosphates were also produced from their respective diphosphates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Yamagata
- Laboratory of Chemical Evolution, Ishikawa, Japan.
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Taillades J, Beuzelin I, Garrel L, Tabacik V, Bied C, Commeyras A. N-carbamoyl-alpha-amino acids rather than free alpha-amino acids formation in the primitive hydrosphere: a novel proposal for the emergence of prebiotic peptides. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 1998; 28:61-77. [PMID: 11536856 DOI: 10.1023/a:1006566810636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Our previous kinetic and thermodynamic studies upon the reactional system HCHO/HCN/NH3 in aqueous solutions are completed. In the assumed prebiotic conditions of the primitive earth ([HCHO] and [HCN] near 1 g L-1, T = 25 degrees C, pH = 8, [NH3] very low), this system leads to 99.9% of alpha-hydroxyacetonitrile and 0.1% of alpha-aminoacetonitrile (precursor of the alpha-amino acid). The classical base-catalyzed hydration of nitriles, slow and not selective, can not modify significantly this proportion. On the contrary, we found two specific and efficient reactions of alpha-aminonitriles which shift the initial equilibrium in favor of the alpha-aminonitrile pathway. The first reaction catalyzed by formaldehyde generates alpha-aminoamides, precursors of alpha-aminoacids. The second reaction catalyzed by carbon dioxide affords hydantoins, precursors of N-carbamoyl-alpha-aminoacids. In the primitive hydrosphere, where the concentration in carbon dioxide was estimated to be higher than that of formaldehyde, the formation of hydantoins was consequently more efficient. The rates of hydrolysis of the alpha-aminoacetamide and of the hydantoin at pH 8 being very similar, the synthesis of the N-carbamoyl-alpha-amino acid seems then to be the fatal issue of the HCHO/HCN/NH3 system that nature used to perform its evolution. These N-protected alpha-amino acids offer new perspectives in prebiotic chemistry, in particular for the emergence of peptides on the prebiotic earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Taillades
- Organisation moleculaire, evolution et materiaux fluores, Universite Montpellier II Sciences et Techniques du Languedoc, France
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Clarke DW, Ferris JP. Chemical evolution on Titan: comparisons to the prebiotic earth. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 1997; 27:225-48. [PMID: 9150575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Models for the origin of Titan's atmosphere, the processing of the atmosphere and surface and its exobiological role are reviewed. Titan has gained widespread acceptance in the origin of life field as a model for the types of evolutionary processes that could have occurred on prebiotic Earth. Both Titan and Earth possess significant atmospheres (> or = 1 atm) composed mainly of molecular nitrogen with smaller amounts of more reactive species. Both of these atmospheres are processed primarily by solar ultraviolet light with high energy particles interactions contributing to a lesser extent. The products of these reactions condense or are dissolved in other atmospheric species (aerosols/clouds) and fall to the surface. There these products may have been further processed on Titan and the primitive Earth by impacting comets and meteorites. While the low temperatures on Titan (approximately 72-180 K) preclude the presence of permanent liquid water on the surface, it has been suggested that tectonic activity or impacts by meteors and comets could produce liquid water pools on the surface for thousands of years. Hydrolysis and oligomerization reactions in these pools might form chemicals of prebiological significance. Other direct comparisons between the conditions on present day Titan and those proposed for prebiotic Earth are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- D W Clarke
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA 71497, USA
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Abstract
Atmospheric mixing ratios of approximately 10(-5 +/- 1) for ammonia on the early Earth would have been sufficient, through the resulting greenhouse warming, to counteract the temperature effects of the faint early sun. One argument against such model atmospheres has been the short time scale for ammonia photodissociation by solar ultraviolet light. Here it is shown that ultraviolet absorption by steady-state amounts of high-altitude organic solids produced from methane photolysis may have shielded ammonia sufficiently that ammonia resupply rates were able to maintain surface temperatures above freezing.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Sagan
- Laboratory for Planetary Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6801, USA
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Munegumi T, Shimoyama A, Harada K. Abiotic Asparagine Formation from Simple Amino Acids by Contact Glow Discharge Electrolysis. CHEM LETT 1997. [DOI: 10.1246/cl.1997.393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Abstract
In view of the importance of a prebiotic source of high energy phosphates, we have investigated a number of potentially prebiotic processes to produce condensed phosphates from orthophosphate and cyclic trimetaphosphate from tripolyphosphate. The reagents investigated include polymerizing nitriles, acid anhydrides, lactones, hexamethylene tetramine and carbon suboxide. A number of these processes give substantial yields of pyrophosphate from orthophosphate and trimetaphosphate from tripolyphosphate. Although these reactions may have been applicable in local areas, they are not sufficiently robust to have been of importance in the prebiotic open ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Keefe
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0317, USA
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Arrhenius T, Arrhenius G, Paplawsky W. Archean geochemistry of formaldehyde and cyanide and the oligomerization of cyanohydrin. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 1994; 24:1-17. [PMID: 11536656 DOI: 10.1007/bf01582036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The sources and speciation of reduced carbon and nitrogen inferred for the early Archean are reviewed in terms of current observations and models, and known chemical reactions. Within this framework hydrogen cyanide and cyanide ion in significant concentration would have been eliminated by reaction with excess formaldehyde to form cyanohydrin (glycolonitrile), and with ferrous ion to form ferrocyanide. Natural reactions of these molecules would under such conditions deserve special consideration in modeling of primordial organochemical processes. As a step in this direction, transformation reactions have been investigated involving glycolonitrile in the presence of water. We find that glycolonitrile, formed from formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide or cyanide ion, spontaneously cyclodimerizes to 4-amino-2-hydroxymethyloxazole. The crystalline dimer is the major product at low temperature (approximately 0 degrees C); the yield diminishes with increasing temperature at the expense of polymerization and hydrolysis products. Hydrolysis of glycolonitrile and of oxazole yields a number of simpler organic molecules, including ammonia and glycolamide. The spontaneous polymerization of glycolonitrile and its dimer gives rise to soluble, cationic oligomers of as yet unknown structure, and, unless arrested, to a viscous liquid, insoluble in water. A loss of cyanide by reaction with formaldehyde, inferred for the early terrestrial hydrosphere and cryosphere would present a dilemma for hypotheses invoking cyanide and related compounds as concentrated reactants capable of forming biomolecular precursor species. Attempts to escape from its horns may take advantage of the efficient concentration and separation of cyanide as solid ferriferrocyanide, and most directly of reactions of glycolonitrile and its derivatives.
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