1
|
Manna T, Maji S, Maity M, Debnath B, Panda S, Khan SA, Nath R, Akhtar MJ. Anticancer potential and structure activity studies of purine and pyrimidine derivatives: an updated review. Mol Divers 2024:10.1007/s11030-024-10870-4. [PMID: 38856835 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-024-10870-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Cancer is the world's leading cause of death impacting millions of lives globally. The increasing research over the past several decades has focused on the development of new anticancer drugs, but still cancer continues to be a global health challenge. Thus, several new alternative therapeutic strategies have been tried for the drug design and discovery. Purine and pyrimidine heterocyclic compounds have received attention recently due to their potential in targeting various cancers. It is evident from the recently published data over the last decade that incorporation of the purine and pyrimidine rings in the synthesized derivatives resulted in the development of potent anticancer molecules. This review presents synthetic strategies encompassing several examples of recently developed purine and pyrimidine-containing compounds as anticancer agents. In addition, their structure-activity relationships are represented in the schemes indicating the fragment or groups that are essential for the enhanced anticancer activities. Purine and pyrimidines combined with other heterocyclic compounds have resulted in many novel anticancer molecules that address the challenges of drug resistance. The purine and pyrimidine derivatives showed significantly enhanced anticancer activities against targeted receptor proteins with numerous compounds with an IC50 value in the nanomolar range. The review will support medicinal chemists and contribute in progression and development of synthesis of more potent chemotherapeutic drug candidates to mitigate the burden of this dreadful disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tanushree Manna
- Department of Pharmacy, Bharat Technology, Uluberia, 711316, Howrah, West Bengal, India
| | - Sumit Maji
- Department of Pharmacy, Bharat Technology, Uluberia, 711316, Howrah, West Bengal, India
| | - Mousumi Maity
- Department of Pharmacy, Bharat Technology, Uluberia, 711316, Howrah, West Bengal, India
| | - Biplab Debnath
- Department of Pharmacy, Bharat Technology, Uluberia, 711316, Howrah, West Bengal, India
| | - Shambo Panda
- Department of Pharmacy, Bharat Technology, Uluberia, 711316, Howrah, West Bengal, India
| | - Shah Alam Khan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National University of Science and Technology, PC 130, Azaiba, Bousher, PO 620, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Rajarshi Nath
- Department of Pharmacy, Bharat Technology, Uluberia, 711316, Howrah, West Bengal, India.
- JIS University, Agarpara Campus, Kolkata-81, Nilgunj Road, Agarpara, Kolkata, 700109, India.
| | - Md Jawaid Akhtar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National University of Science and Technology, PC 130, Azaiba, Bousher, PO 620, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Enchev V, Angelov I, Dincheva I, Stoyanova N, Slavova S, Rangelov M, Markova N. Chemical evolution: from formamide to nucleobases and amino acids without the presence of catalyst. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 39:5563-5578. [PMID: 32677584 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1792986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Abiotic synthesis of nucleobases and amino acids is of critical importance as it sheds light on potential prebiotic chemical reactions. During thermal decomposition of formamide in vacuum conditions, purine, cytosine, adenine, hypoxanthine, uracil, pterin, urea, urocanic acid, glycine, alanine and norvaline were detected. The compounds were obtained without catalyst by heating at 100-180 °C or microwave heating of formamide. Reaction network of self-catalyzed chemical reactions is suggested, showing how from only one parent molecule, nucleobases, urea and the amino acid glycine can be produced. The reaction pathways are theoretically determined using SCS-MP2 calculations.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Venelin Enchev
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Ivan Angelov
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | | | - Nina Stoyanova
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Sofia Slavova
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Miroslav Rangelov
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Nadezhda Markova
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Sofia, Bulgaria
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
The chemistry of abiotic nucleotide synthesis of RNA and DNA in the context of their prebiotic origins on early earth is a continuing challenge. How did (or how can) the nucleotides form and assemble from the small molecule inventories and under conditions that prevailed on early earth 3.5-4 billion years ago? This review provides a background and up-to-date progress that will allow the reader to judge where the field stands currently and what remains to be achieved. We start with a brief primer on the biological synthesis of nucleotides, followed by an extensive focus on the prebiotic formation of the components of nucleotides-either via the synthesis of ribose and the canonical nucleobases and then joining them together or by building both the conjoined sugar and nucleobase, part-by-part-toward the ultimate goal of forming RNA and DNA by polymerization. The review will emphasize that there are-and will continue to be-many more questions than answers from the synthetic, mechanistic, and analytical perspectives. We wrap up the review with a cautionary note in this context about coming to conclusions as to whether the problem of chemistry of prebiotic nucleotide synthesis has been solved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahipal Yadav
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Ravi Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,NSF-NASA Center for Chemical Evolution, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mishima S, Ohtomo Y, Kakegawa T. Occurrence of Tourmaline in Metasedimentary Rocks of the Isua Supracrustal Belt, Greenland: Implications for Ribose Stabilization in Hadean Marine Sediments. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2016; 46:247-71. [PMID: 26631409 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-015-9474-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Abiotic formation of RNA was important for the emergence of terrestrial life, but the acknowledged difficulties of generating and stabilizing ribose have often raised questions regarding how the first RNA might have formed. Previous researchers have proposed that borate could have stabilized ribose; however, the availability of borate on the early Earth has been the subject of intense debate. In order to examine whether borate was available on the early Earth, this study examined metasedimentary rocks from the Isua Supracrustal Belt. Garnet, biotite, and quartz comprise the major constituents of the examined rocks. Field relationships and the chemical compositions of the examined rocks suggest sedimentary origin. The present study found that garnet crystals contain a number of inclusions of tourmaline (a type of borosilicate mineral). All tourmaline crystals are Fe-rich and categorized as schorl. Both garnet and tourmaline often contain graphite inclusions and this close association of tourmaline with garnet and graphite has not been recognized previously. Garnet-biotite and graphite geothermometers suggest that the tourmaline in garnet experienced peak metamorphic conditions (~500 °C and 5 kbar). The mineralogical characteristics of the tourmaline and the whole rock composition indicate that the tourmaline formed authigenically in the sediment during diagenesis and/or early metamorphism. Clay minerals in modern sediments have the capability to adsorb and concentrate borate, which could lead to boron enrichment during diagenesis, followed by tourmaline formation under metamorphic conditions. Clay minerals, deposited on the early Archean seafloor, were the precursors of the garnet and biotite in the examined samples. The studied tourmaline crystals were most likely formed in the same way as modern tourmaline in marine sediments. Therefore, boron enrichment by clays must have been possible even during the early Archean. Thus, similar enrichment could have been possible during the Hadean, providing a stabilization agent for ribose.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shinpei Mishima
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Aza-aoba 6-3, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Yoko Ohtomo
- Faculty, Graduate School and School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita 13, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kakegawa
- Department of Earth Science, Tohoku University, Aza-aoba 6-3, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gupta H, Gupta B. Photocatalytic degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon benzo[a]pyrene by iron oxides and identification of degradation products. CHEMOSPHERE 2015; 138:924-931. [PMID: 25576129 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Photocatalytic decay profiles of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) have been investigated on various synthesized iron oxides and on soil surfaces under a set of diverse conditions. Samples were analysed using the developed HPLC procedure. Results of the present study demonstrate fastest photodisintegration of B[a]P on goethite followed by haematite, magnetite, akaganeite and maghemite, respectively. The effect of soil pH, irradiation wavelength and iron oxide and oxalic acid dose on the degradation of B[a]P was evaluated. The studies revealed enhancement in photodegradation in the presence of oxalic acid due to the occurrence of fenton like reaction. The results showed faster B[a]P degradation under short wavelength UV radiation. Rate constants in acidic, neutral and alkaline soils under optimum dissipation conditions were 1.11×10(-2), 7.69×10(-3) and 9.97×10(-3) h(-1), respectively. The study indicates that iron oxides along with oxalic acid are effective photocatalyst for the remediation of benzo[a]pyrene contaminated soil surfaces. The degradation products of B[a]P in the soils of different pH in presence of goethite were identified and degradation pathways proposed. Peaks due to toxic metabolites such as diones, diols and epoxides disappear after 120 h in all the three soils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Gupta
- Department of Chemistry Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, U.K., India
| | - Bina Gupta
- Department of Chemistry Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, U.K., India.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Canhisares-Filho JE, Carneiro CEA, de Santana H, Urbano A, da Costa ACS, Zaia CTBV, Zaia DAM. Characterization of the Adsorption of Nucleic Acid Bases onto Ferrihydrite via Fourier Transform Infrared and Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffractometry. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:728-738. [PMID: 26393397 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Minerals could have played an important role in concentration, protection, and polymerization of biomolecules. Although iron is the fourth most abundant element in Earth's crust, there are few works in the literature that describe the use of iron oxide-hydroxide in prebiotic chemistry experiments. In the present work, the interaction of adenine, thymine, and uracil with ferrihydrite was studied under conditions that resemble those of prebiotic Earth. At acidic pH, anions in artificial seawater decreased the pH at the point of zero charge (pHpzc) of ferrihydrite; and at basic pH, cations increased the pHpzc. The adsorption of nucleic acid bases onto ferrihydrite followed the order adenine >> uracil > thymine. Adenine adsorption peaked at neutral pH; however, for thymine and uracil, adsorption increased with increasing pH. Electrostatic interactions did not appear to play an important role on the adsorption of nucleic acid bases onto ferrihydrite. Adenine adsorption onto ferrihydrite was higher in distilled water compared to artificial seawater. After ferrihydrite was mixed with artificial seawaters or nucleic acid bases, X-ray diffractograms and Fourier transform infrared spectra did not show any change. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy showed that the interaction of adenine with ferrihydrite was not pH-dependent. In contrast, the interactions of thymine and uracil with ferrihydrite were pH-dependent such that, at basic pH, thymine and uracil lay flat on the surface of ferrihydrite, and at acidic pH, thymine and uracil were perpendicular to the surface. Ferrihydrite adsorbed much more adenine than thymine; thus adenine would have been better protected against degradation by hydrolysis or UV radiation on prebiotic Earth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José E Canhisares-Filho
- 1 Laboratório de Química Prebiótica, Departamento de Química-CCE, Universidade Estadual de Londrina , Londrina-PR, Brazil
| | - Cristine E A Carneiro
- 1 Laboratório de Química Prebiótica, Departamento de Química-CCE, Universidade Estadual de Londrina , Londrina-PR, Brazil
| | - Henrique de Santana
- 1 Laboratório de Química Prebiótica, Departamento de Química-CCE, Universidade Estadual de Londrina , Londrina-PR, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Urbano
- 2 Departamento de Física-CCE, Universidade Estadual de Londrina , Londrina-PR, Brazil
| | - Antonio C S da Costa
- 3 Departamento de Agronomia-CCA, Universidade Estadual de Maringá , Maringá-PR, Brazil
| | - Cássia T B V Zaia
- 4 Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas-CCB, Universidade Estadual de Londrina , Londrina-PR, Brazil
| | - Dimas A M Zaia
- 1 Laboratório de Química Prebiótica, Departamento de Química-CCE, Universidade Estadual de Londrina , Londrina-PR, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Nguyen HT, Jeilani YA, Hung HM, Nguyen MT. Radical Pathways for the Prebiotic Formation of Pyrimidine Bases from Formamide. J Phys Chem A 2015. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.5b03625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yassin A. Jeilani
- Department
Chemistry and Biochemistry, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia 30314, United States
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Meteorite-catalyzed syntheses of nucleosides and of other prebiotic compounds from formamide under proton irradiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E2746-55. [PMID: 25870268 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1422225112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Liquid formamide has been irradiated by high-energy proton beams in the presence of powdered meteorites, and the products of the catalyzed resulting syntheses were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Relative to the controls (no radiation, or no formamide, or no catalyst), an extremely rich, variegate, and prebiotically relevant panel of compounds was observed. The meteorites tested were representative of the four major classes: iron, stony iron, chondrites, and achondrites. The products obtained were amino acids, carboxylic acids, nucleobases, sugars, and, most notably, four nucleosides: cytidine, uridine, adenosine, and thymidine. In accordance with theoretical studies, the detection of HCN oligomers suggests the occurrence of mechanisms based on the generation of radical cyanide species (CN·) for the synthesis of nucleobases. Given that many of the compounds obtained are key components of extant organisms, these observations contribute to outline plausible exogenous high-energy-based prebiotic scenarios and their possible boundary conditions, as discussed.
Collapse
|
11
|
Kumar A, Sharma R. Formamide-based synthesis of nucleobases by metal(II) octacyanomolybdate(IV): implication in prebiotic chemistry. ASTROBIOLOGY 2014; 14:769-779. [PMID: 25192494 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We propose that double metal cyanides that formed in primeval seas might have played a vital role in chemical evolution and the origin of life. An array of metal octacyanomolybdates (MOCMos) has been synthesized, and their role as catalyst in the formation of nucleobases from formamide has been studied. Formamide, a hydrolysis product of HCN, was taken as starting material for the formation of nucleobases. Recent studies support the presence of formamide on some celestial bodies. Metal octacyanomolybdates, MOCMos (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd), are found to be highly efficient catalysts in the conversion of formamide into different nucleobases. Neat formamide is converted to purine, 4(3H)-pyrimidinone, cytosine, adenine, 9-(hydroxyacetyl)-purine, and thymine in good yield when using MOCMos. The products formed were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry techniques. The results of our study show that insoluble double metal cyanides might have acted as efficient catalysts in the synthesis of various biologically important compounds (e.g., purines, pyrimidines) under primeval seas on Earth or elsewhere in our solar system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anand Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee , Roorkee, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Ruiz-Mirazo K, Briones C, de la Escosura A. Prebiotic Systems Chemistry: New Perspectives for the Origins of Life. Chem Rev 2013; 114:285-366. [DOI: 10.1021/cr2004844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 563] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kepa Ruiz-Mirazo
- Biophysics
Unit (CSIC-UPV/EHU), Leioa, and Department of Logic and Philosophy
of Science, University of the Basque Country, Avenida de Tolosa 70, 20080 Donostia−San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Carlos Briones
- Department
of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC−INTA, associated to the NASA Astrobiology Institute), Carretera de Ajalvir, Km 4, 28850 Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrés de la Escosura
- Organic
Chemistry Department, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Shanker U, Singh G, Kamaluddin. Interaction of aromatic amines with iron oxides: implications for prebiotic chemistry. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2013; 43:207-20. [PMID: 23813329 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-013-9338-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The interaction of aromatic amines (aniline, p-chloroaniline, p-toludine and p-anisidine) with iron oxides (goethite, akaganeite and hematite) has been studied. Maximum uptake of amines was observed around pH 7. The adsorption data obtained at neutral pH were found to follow Langmuir adsorption. Anisidine was found to be a better adsorbate probably due to its higher basicity. In alkaline medium (pH > 8), amines reacted on goethite and akaganeite to give colored products. Analysis of the products by GC-MS showed benzoquinone and azobenzene as the reaction products of aniline while p-anisidine afforded a dimer. IR analysis of the amine-iron oxide hydroxide adduct suggests that the surface acidity of iron oxide hydroxides is responsible for the interaction. The present study suggests that iron oxide hydroxides might have played a role in the stabilization of organic molecules through their surface activity and in prebiotic condensation reactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Uma Shanker
- Department of Chemistry, Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, Jalandhar, 144011, Punjab, India.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Stüeken EE, Anderson RE, Bowman JS, Brazelton WJ, Colangelo-Lillis J, Goldman AD, Som SM, Baross JA. Did life originate from a global chemical reactor? GEOBIOLOGY 2013; 11:101-126. [PMID: 23331348 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2012] [Accepted: 12/03/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Many decades of experimental and theoretical research on the origin of life have yielded important discoveries regarding the chemical and physical conditions under which organic compounds can be synthesized and polymerized. However, such conditions often seem mutually exclusive, because they are rarely encountered in a single environmental setting. As such, no convincing models explain how living cells formed from abiotic constituents. Here, we propose a new approach that considers the origin of life within the global context of the Hadean Earth. We review previous ideas and synthesize them in four central hypotheses: (i) Multiple microenvironments contributed to the building blocks of life, and these niches were not necessarily inhabitable by the first organisms; (ii) Mineral catalysts were the backbone of prebiotic reaction networks that led to modern metabolism; (iii) Multiple local and global transport processes were essential for linking reactions occurring in separate locations; (iv) Global diversity and local selection of reactants and products provided mechanisms for the generation of most of the diverse building blocks necessary for life. We conclude that no single environmental setting can offer enough chemical and physical diversity for life to originate. Instead, any plausible model for the origin of life must acknowledge the geological complexity and diversity of the Hadean Earth. Future research may therefore benefit from identifying further linkages between organic precursors, minerals, and fluids in various environmental contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E E Stüeken
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Mulkidjanian AY, Bychkov AY, Dibrova DV, Galperin MY, Koonin EV. Origin of first cells at terrestrial, anoxic geothermal fields. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:E821-30. [PMID: 22331915 PMCID: PMC3325685 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1117774109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
All cells contain much more potassium, phosphate, and transition metals than modern (or reconstructed primeval) oceans, lakes, or rivers. Cells maintain ion gradients by using sophisticated, energy-dependent membrane enzymes (membrane pumps) that are embedded in elaborate ion-tight membranes. The first cells could possess neither ion-tight membranes nor membrane pumps, so the concentrations of small inorganic molecules and ions within protocells and in their environment would equilibrate. Hence, the ion composition of modern cells might reflect the inorganic ion composition of the habitats of protocells. We attempted to reconstruct the "hatcheries" of the first cells by combining geochemical analysis with phylogenomic scrutiny of the inorganic ion requirements of universal components of modern cells. These ubiquitous, and by inference primordial, proteins and functional systems show affinity to and functional requirement for K(+), Zn(2+), Mn(2+), and phosphate. Thus, protocells must have evolved in habitats with a high K(+)/Na(+) ratio and relatively high concentrations of Zn, Mn, and phosphorous compounds. Geochemical reconstruction shows that the ionic composition conducive to the origin of cells could not have existed in marine settings but is compatible with emissions of vapor-dominated zones of inland geothermal systems. Under the anoxic, CO(2)-dominated primordial atmosphere, the chemistry of basins at geothermal fields would resemble the internal milieu of modern cells. The precellular stages of evolution might have transpired in shallow ponds of condensed and cooled geothermal vapor that were lined with porous silicate minerals mixed with metal sulfides and enriched in K(+), Zn(2+), and phosphorous compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Armen Y. Mulkidjanian
- School of Physics, University of Osnabrück, D-49069 Osnabrück, Germany
- A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology and Schools of
| | | | - Daria V. Dibrova
- School of Physics, University of Osnabrück, D-49069 Osnabrück, Germany
- Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; and
| | - Michael Y. Galperin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894
| | - Eugene V. Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Shanker U, Bhushan B, Bhattacharjee G, Kamaluddin. Oligomerization of glycine and alanine catalyzed by iron oxides: implications for prebiotic chemistry. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2012; 42:31-45. [PMID: 22373603 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-012-9266-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2011] [Accepted: 10/14/2011] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Iron oxide minerals are probable constituents of the sediments present in geothermal regions of the primitive earth. They might have adsorbed different organic monomers (amino acids, nucleotides etc.) and catalyzed polymerization processes leading to the formation of the first living cell. In the present work we tested the catalytic activity of three forms of iron oxides (Goethite, Akaganeite and Hematite) in the intermolecular condensation of each of the amino acids glycine and L-alanine. The effect of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide on the oligomerization has also been studied. Oligomerization studies were performed for 35 days at three different temperatures 50, 90 and 120°C without applying drying/wetting cycling. The products formed were characterized by HPLC and ESI-MS techniques. All three forms of iron oxides catalyzed peptide bond formation (23.2% of gly2 and 10.65% of ala2). The reaction was monitored every 7 days. Formation of peptides was observed to start after 7 days at 50°C. Maximum yield of peptides was found after 35 days at 90°C. Reaction at 120°C favors formation of diketopiperazine derivatives. It is also important to note that after 35 days of reaction, goethite produced dimer and trimer with the highest yield among the oxides tested. We suggest that the activity of goethite could probably be due to its high surface area and surface acidity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Uma Shanker
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Eizaguirre A, Mó O, Yáñez M, Salpin JY. Modeling the interactions between peptide functions and Sr2+: formamide-Sr2+ reactions in the gas phase. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2011; 13:18409-17. [PMID: 21901223 DOI: 10.1039/c1cp21578g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The interactions between formamide, which can be considered a prototype of a peptide function, and Sr(2+) have been investigated by combining nanoelectrospray ionization/mass spectrometry techniques and G96LYP DFT calculations. For Sr an extended LANL2DZ basis set was employed, together with a 6-311+G(3df,2p) basis set expansion for the remaining atoms of the system. The observed reactivity seems to be dominated by the Coulomb explosion process yielding [SrOH](+) + [HNCH](+), which are the most intense peaks in the MS/MS spectra. Nevertheless, additional peaks corresponding to the loss of HNC and CO indicate that the association of Sr(2+) to water or to ammonia leads to long-lived doubly charged species detectable in the timescale of these experimental techniques. The topology of the calculated potential energy surface permits us to establish the mechanisms behind these processes. Although the interaction between the neutral base and Sr(2+) is essentially electrostatic, the polarization triggered by the doubly charged metal ion results in the activation of several bonds, and favors different proton transfer mechanisms required for the formation of the [SrOH](+), [SrOH(2)](2+) and [SrNH(3)](2+) products.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ane Eizaguirre
- Departamento de Química, Módulo 13, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Excelencia UAM-CSIC, Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|