1
|
Deng Y, Wang JX, Ghosh B, Lu Y. Enzymatic CO 2 reduction catalyzed by natural and artificial Metalloenzymes. J Inorg Biochem 2024; 259:112669. [PMID: 39059175 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2024.112669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
The continuously increasing level of atmospheric CO2 in the atmosphere has led to global warming. Converting CO2 into other carbon compounds could mitigate its atmospheric levels and produce valuable products, as CO2 also serves as a plentiful and inexpensive carbon feedstock. However, the inert nature of CO2 poses a major challenge for its reduction. To meet the challenge, nature has evolved metalloenzymes using transition metal ions like Fe, Ni, Mo, and W, as well as electron-transfer partners for their functions. Mimicking these enzymes, artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) have been designed using alternative protein scaffolds and various metallocofactors like Ni, Co, Re, Rh, and FeS clusters. Both the catalytic efficiency and the scope of CO2-reduction product of these ArMs have been improved over the past decade. This review first focuses on the natural metalloenzymes that directly reduce CO2 by discussing their structures and active sites, as well as the proposed reaction mechanisms. It then introduces the common strategies for electrochemical, photochemical, or photoelectrochemical utilization of these native enzymes for CO2 reduction and highlights the most recent advancements from the past five years. We also summarize principles of protein design for bio-inspired ArMs, comparing them with native enzymatic systems and outlining challenges and opportunities in enzymatic CO2 reduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yunling Deng
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Jing-Xiang Wang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Barshali Ghosh
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kalapos MP, de Bari L. The evolutionary arch of bioenergetics from prebiotic mechanisms to the emergence of a cellular respiratory chain. Biosystems 2024; 244:105288. [PMID: 39128646 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2024.105288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
This article proposes an evolutionary trajectory for the development of biological energy producing systems. Six main stages of energy producing system evolution are described, from early evolutionary pyrite-pulled mechanism through the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) to contemporary systems. We define the Last Pure Chemical Entity (LPCE) as the last completely non-enzymatic entity. LPCE could have had some life-like properties, but lacked genetic information carriers, thus showed greater instability and environmental dependence than LUCA. A double bubble model is proposed for compartmentalization and cellularization as a prerequisite to both highly efficient protein synthesis and transmembrane ion-gradient. The article finds that although LUCA predominantly functioned anaerobically, it was a non-exclusive anaerobe, and sulfur dominated metabolism preceded phosphate dominated one.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lidia de Bari
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, Bari, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Moody ERR, Álvarez-Carretero S, Mahendrarajah TA, Clark JW, Betts HC, Dombrowski N, Szánthó LL, Boyle RA, Daines S, Chen X, Lane N, Yang Z, Shields GA, Szöllősi GJ, Spang A, Pisani D, Williams TA, Lenton TM, Donoghue PCJ. The nature of the last universal common ancestor and its impact on the early Earth system. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1654-1666. [PMID: 38997462 PMCID: PMC11383801 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02461-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
The nature of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA), its age and its impact on the Earth system have been the subject of vigorous debate across diverse disciplines, often based on disparate data and methods. Age estimates for LUCA are usually based on the fossil record, varying with every reinterpretation. The nature of LUCA's metabolism has proven equally contentious, with some attributing all core metabolisms to LUCA, whereas others reconstruct a simpler life form dependent on geochemistry. Here we infer that LUCA lived ~4.2 Ga (4.09-4.33 Ga) through divergence time analysis of pre-LUCA gene duplicates, calibrated using microbial fossils and isotope records under a new cross-bracing implementation. Phylogenetic reconciliation suggests that LUCA had a genome of at least 2.5 Mb (2.49-2.99 Mb), encoding around 2,600 proteins, comparable to modern prokaryotes. Our results suggest LUCA was a prokaryote-grade anaerobic acetogen that possessed an early immune system. Although LUCA is sometimes perceived as living in isolation, we infer LUCA to have been part of an established ecological system. The metabolism of LUCA would have provided a niche for other microbial community members and hydrogen recycling by atmospheric photochemistry could have supported a modestly productive early ecosystem.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edmund R R Moody
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | | | - Tara A Mahendrarajah
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - James W Clark
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Holly C Betts
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Nina Dombrowski
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Lénárd L Szánthó
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE 'Lendulet' Evolutionary Genomics Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Evolution, HUN-REN Center for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Stuart Daines
- Global Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nick Lane
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ziheng Yang
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Graham A Shields
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gergely J Szöllősi
- MTA-ELTE 'Lendulet' Evolutionary Genomics Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Evolution, HUN-REN Center for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
- Model-Based Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Anja Spang
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Burg, The Netherlands
- Department of Evolutionary & Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Davide Pisani
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Tom A Williams
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | | | - Philip C J Donoghue
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mrnjavac N, Schwander L, Brabender M, Martin WF. Chemical Antiquity in Metabolism. Acc Chem Res 2024; 57:2267-2278. [PMID: 39083571 PMCID: PMC11339923 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusLife is an exergonic chemical reaction. The same was true when the very first cells emerged at life's origin. In order to live, all cells need a source of carbon, energy, and electrons to drive their overall reaction network (metabolism). In most cells, these are separate pathways. There is only one biochemical pathway that serves all three needs simultaneously: the acetyl-CoA pathway of CO2 fixation. In the acetyl-CoA pathway, electrons from H2 reduce CO2 to pyruvate for carbon supply, while methane or acetate synthesis are coupled to energy conservation as ATP. This simplicity and thermodynamic favorability prompted Georg Fuchs and Erhard Stupperich to propose in 1985 that the acetyl-CoA pathway might mark the origin of metabolism, at the same time that Steve Ragsdale and Harland Wood were uncovering catalytic roles for Fe, Co, and Ni in the enzymes of the pathway. Subsequent work has provided strong support for those proposals.In the presence of Fe, Co, and Ni in their native metallic state as catalysts, aqueous H2 and CO2 react specifically to formate, acetate, methane, and pyruvate overnight at 100 °C. These metals (and their alloys) thus replace the function of over 120 enzymes required for the conversion of H2 and CO2 to pyruvate via the pathway and its cofactors, an unprecedented set of findings in the study of biochemical evolution. The reactions require alkaline conditions, which promote hydrogen oxidation by proton removal and are naturally generated in serpentinizing (H2-producing) hydrothermal vents. Serpentinizing hydrothermal vents furthermore produce natural deposits of native Fe, Co, Ni, and their alloys. These are precisely the metals that reduce CO2 with H2 in the laboratory; they are also the metals found at the active sites of enzymes in the acetyl-CoA pathway. Iron, cobalt and nickel are relicts of the environments in which metabolism arose, environments that still harbor ancient methane- and acetate-producing autotrophs today. This convergence indicates bedrock-level antiquity for the acetyl-CoA pathway. In acetogens and methanogens growing on H2 as reductant, the acetyl-CoA pathway requires flavin-based electron bifurcation as a source of reduced ferredoxin (a 4Fe4S cluster-containing protein) in order to function. Recent findings show that H2 can reduce the 4Fe4S clusters of ferredoxin in the presence of native iron, uncovering an evolutionary precursor of flavin-based electron bifurcation and suggesting an origin of FeS-dependent electron transfer in proteins. Traditionally discussed as catalysts in early evolution, the most common function of FeS clusters in metabolism is one-electron transfer, also in radical SAM enzymes, a large and ancient enzyme family. The cofactors and active sites in enzymes of the acetyl-CoA pathway uncover chemical antiquity in metabolism involving metals, methyl groups, methyl transfer reactions, cobamides, pterins, GTP, S-adenosylmethionine, radical SAM enzymes, and carbon-metal bonds. The reaction sequence from H2 and CO2 to pyruvate on naturally deposited native metals is maximally simple. It requires neither nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, RNA, ion gradients, nor light. Solid-state metal catalysts tether the origin of metabolism to a H2-producing, serpentinizing hydrothermal vent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Mrnjavac
- Institute
of Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Loraine Schwander
- Institute
of Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Max Brabender
- Institute
of Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - William F. Martin
- Institute
of Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Song Y, Tüysüz H. CO 2 Fixation to Prebiotic Intermediates over Heterogeneous Catalysts. Acc Chem Res 2024; 57:2038-2047. [PMID: 39024180 PMCID: PMC11308370 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusThe study of the origin of life requires a multifaceted approach to understanding where and how life arose on Earth. One of the most compelling hypotheses is the chemosynthetic origin of life at hydrothermal vents, as this condition has been considered viable for early forms of life. The continuous production of H2 and heat by serpentinization generates reductive conditions at hydrothermal vents, in which CO2 can be used to build large biomolecules. Although this involves surface catalysis and an autocatalytic process, in which solid minerals act as catalysts in the conversion of CO2 to metabolically important organic molecules, the systematic investigation of heterogeneous catalysis to comprehend prebiotic chemistry at hydrothermal vents has not been undertaken.In this Account, we discuss geochemical CO2 fixation to metabolic intermediates by synthetic minerals at hydrothermal vents from the perspective of heterogeneous catalysis. Ni and Fe are the most abundant transition metals at hydrothermal vents and occur in the active site of the enzymes carbon monoxide dehydrogenases/acetyl coenzyme A synthases (CODH/ACS). Synthetic free-standing NiFe alloy nanoparticles can convert CO2 to acetyl coenzyme A pathway intermediates such as formate, acetate, and pyruvate. The same alloy can further convert pyruvate to citramalate, which is essential in the biological citramalate pathway. Thermal treatment of Ni3Fe nanoparticles under NH3, which can occur in hydrothermal vents, results in Ni3FeN/Ni3Fe heterostructures. This catalyst has been demonstrated to produce prebiotic formamide and acetamide from CO2 and H2O using Ni3FeN/Ni3Fe as both substrate and catalyst. In the process of serpentinization, Co can be reduced in the vicinity of olivine, a Mg-Fe silicate mineral. This produces CoFe and CoFe2 with serpentine in nature, representing SiO2-supported CoFe alloys. In mimicking these natural minerals, synthetic SiO2-supported CoFe alloys demonstrate the same liquid products as NiFe alloys, namely, formate, acetate, and pyruvate under mild hydrothermal vent conditions. In contrast to the NiFe system, hydrocarbons up to C6 were detected in the gas phase, which is also present in hydrothermal vents. The addition of alkali and alkaline-earth metals to the catalysts results in enhanced formate concentration, playing a promotional role in CO2 reduction. Finally, Co was loaded onto ordered mesoporous SiO2 after modification with cations to simulate the minerals found in hydrothermal vents. These catalysts were then investigated under diminished H2O concentration, revealing the conversion of CO2 to CO, CH4, methanol, and acetate. Notably, the selectivity to metabolically relevant methanol was enhanced in the presence of cations that could generate and stabilize the methoxy intermediate. Calculation using the machine learning approach revealed the possibility of predicting the selectivity of CO2 fixation when modifying mesoporous SiO2 supports with heterocations. Our research demonstrates that minerals at hydrothermal vents can convert CO2 into metabolites under a variety of prebiotic conditions, potentially paving the way for modern biological CO2 fixation processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Youngdong Song
- Department of Heterogeneous
Catalysis, Max-Planck-Institut für
Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Harun Tüysüz
- Department of Heterogeneous
Catalysis, Max-Planck-Institut für
Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wu K, Zhou L, Tahon G, Liu L, Li J, Zhang J, Zheng F, Deng C, Han W, Bai L, Fu L, Dong X, Zhang C, Ettema TJG, Sousa DZ, Cheng L. Isolation of a methyl-reducing methanogen outside the Euryarchaeota. Nature 2024; 632:1124-1130. [PMID: 39048829 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07728-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Methanogenic archaea are main contributors to methane emissions, and have a crucial role in carbon cycling and global warming. Until recently, methanogens were confined to Euryarchaeota, but metagenomic studies revealed the presence of genes encoding the methyl coenzyme M reductase complex in other archaeal clades1-4, thereby opening up the premise that methanogenesis is taxonomically more widespread. Nevertheless, laboratory cultivation of these non-euryarchaeal methanogens was lacking to corroborate their potential methanogenic ability and physiology. Here we report the isolation of a thermophilic archaeon LWZ-6 from an oil field. This archaeon belongs to the class Methanosuratincolia (originally affiliated with 'Candidatus Verstraetearchaeota') in the phylum Thermoproteota. Methanosuratincola petrocarbonis LWZ-6 is a strict hydrogen-dependent methylotrophic methanogen. Although previous metagenomic studies speculated on the fermentative potential of Methanosuratincolia members, strain LWZ-6 does not ferment sugars, peptides or amino acids. Its energy metabolism is linked only to methanogenesis, with methanol and monomethylamine as electron acceptors and hydrogen as an electron donor. Comparative (meta)genome analysis confirmed that hydrogen-dependent methylotrophic methanogenesis is a widespread trait among Methanosuratincolia. Our findings confirm that the diversity of methanogens expands beyond the classical Euryarchaeota and imply the importance of hydrogen-dependent methylotrophic methanogenesis in global methane emissions and carbon cycle.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kejia Wu
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lei Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Guillaume Tahon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Laiyan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Jianchao Zhang
- School of Earth System Science, Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Fengfeng Zheng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Geo-Omics Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chengpeng Deng
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenhao Han
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Liping Bai
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Lin Fu
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiuzhu Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chuanlun Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Geo-Omics Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Diana Z Sousa
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Lei Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Sharma S, Pandey B, Rajaraman G. The interplay of covalency, cooperativity, and coupling strength in governing C-H bond activation in Ni 2E 2 (E = O, S, Se, Te) complexes. Chem Sci 2024; 15:10529-10540. [PMID: 38994414 PMCID: PMC11234824 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc02882a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Dinickel dichalcogenide complexes hold vital multifaceted significance across catalysis, electron transfer, magnetism, materials science, and energy conversion. Understanding their structure, bonding, and reactivity is crucial for all aforementioned applications. These complexes are classified as dichalcogenide, subchalcogenide, or chalcogenide based on metal oxidation and coordinated chalcogen, and due to the associated complex electronic structure, ambiguity often lingers about their classification. In this work, using DFT, CASSCF/NEVPT2, and DLPNO-CCSD(T) methods, we have studied in detail [(NiL)2(E2)] (L = 1,4,7,10-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane; E = O, S, Se and Te) complexes and explored their reactivity towards C-H bond activation for the first time. Through a comprehensive analysis of the structure, bonding, and reactivity of a series of [(NiL)2(E2)] complexes with E = O, S, Se, and Te, our computational findings suggest that {Ni2O2} and {Ni2S2} are best categorised as dichalcogenide-type complexes. In contrast, {Ni2Se2} and {Ni2Te2} display tendencies consistent with the subchalcogenide classification, and this aligns with the earlier structural correlation proposed (Berry and co-workers, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 4993) reports on the importance of the E-E bond strength. Our study suggests the reactivity order of {Ni2O2} > {Ni2S2} > {Ni2Se2} > {Ni2Te2} for C-H bond activation, and the origin of the difference in reactivity was attributed to the difference in the Ni-E bond covalency, and electronic cooperativity between two Ni centres that switch among the classification during the reaction. Further non-adiabatic analysis at the C-H bond activation step demonstrates a decrease in coupling strength as we progress down the group, indicating a correlation with metal-ligand covalency. Notably, the reactivity trend is found to be correlated to the strength of the antiferromagnetic exchange coupling constant J via developing a magneto-structural-barrier map - offering a hitherto unknown route to fine-tune the reactivity of this important class of compound.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sunita Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Mumbai 400076 India
| | - Bhawana Pandey
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Mumbai 400076 India
| | - Gopalan Rajaraman
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Mumbai 400076 India
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ding Y, Cardoso SSS, Cartwright JHE. Dynamics of the osmotic lysis of mineral protocells and its avoidance at the origins of life. GEOBIOLOGY 2024; 22:e12611. [PMID: 39020475 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
The osmotic rupture of a cell, its osmotic lysis or cytolysis, is a phenomenon that active biological cell volume regulation mechanisms have evolved in the cell membrane to avoid. How then, at the origin of life, did the first protocells survive prior to such active processes? The pores of alkaline hydrothermal vents in the oceans form natural nanoreactors in which osmosis across a mineral membrane plays a fundamental role. Here, we discuss the dynamics of lysis and its avoidance in an abiotic system without any active mechanisms, reliant upon self-organized behaviour, similar to the first self-organized mineral membranes within which complex chemistry may have begun to evolve into metabolism. We show that such mineral nanoreactors could function as protocells without exploding because their self-organized dynamics have a large regime in parameter space where osmotic lysis does not occur and homeostasis is possible. The beginnings of Darwinian evolution in proto-biochemistry must have involved the survival of protocells that remained within such a safe regime.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Ding
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Silvana S S Cardoso
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Julyan H E Cartwright
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC-Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Khawaja N, Hortal Sánchez L, O'Sullivan TR, Bloema J, Napoleoni M, Klenner F, Beinlich A, Hillier J, John T, Postberg F. Laboratory characterization of hydrothermally processed oligopeptides in ice grains emitted by Enceladus and Europa. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2024; 382:20230201. [PMID: 38736335 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2023.0201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
The Cassini mission provided evidence for a global subsurface ocean and ongoing hydrothermal activity on Enceladus, based on results from Cassini's mass spectrometers. Laboratory simulations of hydrothermal conditions on icy moons are needed to further constrain the composition of ejected ice grains containing hydrothermally altered organic material. Here, we present results from our newly established facility to simulate the processing of ocean material within the temperature range 80-150°C and the pressure range 80-130 bar, representing conditions suggested for the water-rock interface on Enceladus. With this new facility, we investigate the hydrothermal processing of triglycine (GGG) peptide and, for the first time, analyse the extracted samples using laser-induced liquid beam ion desorption (LILBID) mass spectrometry, a laboratory analogue for impact ionization mass spectrometry of ice grains in space. We outline an approach to elucidate hydrothermally processed GGG in ice grains ejected from icy moons based on characteristic differences between GGG anion and cation mass spectra. These differences are linked to hydrothermal processing and thus provide a fingerprint of hydrothermal activity on extraterrestrial bodies. These results will serve as important guidelines for biosignatures potentially obtained by a future Enceladus mission and the SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) instrument onboard Europa Clipper. This article is part of the theme issue 'Dust in the Solar System and beyond'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nozair Khawaja
- Department of Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing, Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin , Malteserstraße, Berlin 12249, Germany
- Institute of Space Systems, University of Stuttgart , Stuttgart 70569, Germany
| | - Lucía Hortal Sánchez
- Department of Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing, Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin , Malteserstraße, Berlin 12249, Germany
| | - Thomas R O'Sullivan
- Department of Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing, Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin , Malteserstraße, Berlin 12249, Germany
| | - Judith Bloema
- Department of Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing, Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin , Malteserstraße, Berlin 12249, Germany
| | - Maryse Napoleoni
- Department of Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing, Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin , Malteserstraße, Berlin 12249, Germany
| | - Fabian Klenner
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington , Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Andreas Beinlich
- Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin , Malteserstraße, Berlin 12249, Germany
| | - Jon Hillier
- Department of Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing, Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin , Malteserstraße, Berlin 12249, Germany
| | - Timm John
- Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin , Malteserstraße, Berlin 12249, Germany
| | - Frank Postberg
- Department of Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing, Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin , Malteserstraße, Berlin 12249, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gehl M, Demmer U, Ermler U, Shima S. Mutational and structural studies of (βα) 8-barrel fold methylene-tetrahydropterin reductases utilizing a common catalytic mechanism. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e5018. [PMID: 38747406 PMCID: PMC11094777 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Methylene-tetrahydropterin reductases catalyze the reduction of a methylene to a methyl group bound to a reduced pterin as C1 carrier in various one-carbon (C1) metabolisms. F420-dependent methylene-tetrahydromethanopterin (methylene-H4MPT) reductase (Mer) and the flavin-independent methylene-tetrahydrofolate (methylene-H4F) reductase (Mfr) use a ternary complex mechanism for the direct transfer of a hydride from F420H2 and NAD(P)H to the respective methylene group, whereas FAD-dependent methylene-H4F reductase (MTHFR) uses FAD as prosthetic group and a ping-pong mechanism to catalyze the reduction of methylene-H4F. A ternary complex structure and a thereof derived catalytic mechanism of MTHFR is available, while no ternary complex structures of Mfr or Mer are reported. Here, Mer from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (jMer) was heterologously produced and the crystal structures of the enzyme with and without F420 were determined. A ternary complex of jMer was modeled on the basis of the jMer-F420 structure and the ternary complex structure of MTHFR by superimposing the polypeptide after fixing hydride-transferring atoms of the flavins on each other, and by the subsequent transfer of the methyl-tetrahydropterin from MTHFR to jMer. Mutational analysis of four functional amino acids, which are similarly positioned in the three reductase structures, indicated despite the insignificant sequence identity, a common catalytic mechanism with a 5-iminium cation of methylene-tetrahydropterin as intermediate protonated by a shared glutamate. According to structural, mutational and phylogenetic analysis, the evolution of the three reductases most likely proceeds via a convergent development although a divergent scenario requiring drastic structural changes of the common ancestor cannot be completely ruled out.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Gehl
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyMarburgGermany
| | - Ulrike Demmer
- Max Planck Institute of BiophysicsFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Ulrich Ermler
- Max Planck Institute of BiophysicsFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Seigo Shima
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyMarburgGermany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Eren E, Watts NR, Montecinos F, Wingfield PT. Encapsulated Ferritin-like Proteins: A Structural Perspective. Biomolecules 2024; 14:624. [PMID: 38927029 PMCID: PMC11202242 DOI: 10.3390/biom14060624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Encapsulins are self-assembling nano-compartments that naturally occur in bacteria and archaea. These nano-compartments encapsulate cargo proteins that bind to the shell's interior through specific recognition sequences and perform various metabolic processes. Encapsulation enables organisms to perform chemical reactions without exposing the rest of the cell to potentially harmful substances while shielding cargo molecules from degradation and other adverse effects of the surrounding environment. One particular type of cargo protein, the ferritin-like protein (FLP), is the focus of this review. Encapsulated FLPs are members of the ferritin-like protein superfamily, and they play a crucial role in converting ferrous iron (Fe+2) to ferric iron (Fe+3), which is then stored inside the encapsulin in mineralized form. As such, FLPs regulate iron homeostasis and protect organisms against oxidative stress. Recent studies have demonstrated that FLPs have tremendous potential as biosensors and bioreactors because of their ability to catalyze the oxidation of ferrous iron with high specificity and efficiency. Moreover, they have been investigated as potential targets for therapeutic intervention in cancer drug development and bacterial pathogenesis. Further research will likely lead to new insights and applications for these remarkable proteins in biomedicine and biotechnology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Paul T. Wingfield
- Protein Expression Laboratory, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
McAnally M, Bocková J, Herath A, Turner AM, Meinert C, Kaiser RI. Abiotic formation of alkylsulfonic acids in interstellar analog ices and implications for their detection on Ryugu. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4409. [PMID: 38782930 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48684-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
For the last century, the source of sulfur in Earth's very first organisms has remained a fundamental, unsolved enigma. While sulfates and their organic derivatives with sulfur in the S(+VI) oxidation state represent core nutrients in contemporary biochemistry, the limited bioavailability of sulfates during Earth's early Archean period proposed that more soluble S(+IV) compounds served as the initial source of sulfur for the first terrestrial microorganisms. Here, we reveal via laboratory simulation experiments that the three simplest alkylsulfonic acids-water soluble organic S(+IV) compounds-can be efficiently produced in interstellar, sulfur-doped ices through interaction with galactic cosmic rays. This discovery opens a previously elusive path into the synthesis of vital astrobiological significance and untangles fundamental mechanisms of a facile preparation of sulfur-containing, biorelevant organics in extraterrestrial ices; these molecules can be eventually incorporated into comets and asteroids before their delivery and detection on Earth such as in the Murchison, Tagish Lake, and Allende meteorites along with the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mason McAnally
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- W.M. Keck Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Jana Bocková
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272 CNRS, Nice, France
| | - Ashanie Herath
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- W.M. Keck Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Andrew M Turner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- W.M. Keck Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272 CNRS, Nice, France.
| | - Ralf I Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA.
- W.M. Keck Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Nitschke W, Farr O, Gaudu N, Truong C, Guyot F, Russell MJ, Duval S. The Winding Road from Origin to Emergence (of Life). Life (Basel) 2024; 14:607. [PMID: 38792628 PMCID: PMC11123232 DOI: 10.3390/life14050607] [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: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Humanity's strive to understand why and how life appeared on planet Earth dates back to prehistoric times. At the beginning of the 19th century, empirical biology started to tackle this question yielding both Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution and the paradigm that the crucial trigger putting life on its tracks was the appearance of organic molecules. In parallel to these developments in the biological sciences, physics and physical chemistry saw the fundamental laws of thermodynamics being unraveled. Towards the end of the 19th century and during the first half of the 20th century, the tensions between thermodynamics and the "organic-molecules-paradigm" became increasingly difficult to ignore, culminating in Erwin Schrödinger's 1944 formulation of a thermodynamics-compliant vision of life and, consequently, the prerequisites for its appearance. We will first review the major milestones over the last 200 years in the biological and the physical sciences, relevant to making sense of life and its origins and then discuss the more recent reappraisal of the relative importance of metal ions vs. organic molecules in performing the essential processes of a living cell. Based on this reassessment and the modern understanding of biological free energy conversion (aka bioenergetics), we consider that scenarios wherein life emerges from an abiotic chemiosmotic process are both thermodynamics-compliant and the most parsimonious proposed so far.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Nitschke
- BIP (UMR 7281), CNRS, Aix-Marseille-University, 13009 Marseille, France; (O.F.); (N.G.); (C.T.); (S.D.)
| | - Orion Farr
- BIP (UMR 7281), CNRS, Aix-Marseille-University, 13009 Marseille, France; (O.F.); (N.G.); (C.T.); (S.D.)
- CINaM, CNRS, Aix-Marseille-University, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Nil Gaudu
- BIP (UMR 7281), CNRS, Aix-Marseille-University, 13009 Marseille, France; (O.F.); (N.G.); (C.T.); (S.D.)
| | - Chloé Truong
- BIP (UMR 7281), CNRS, Aix-Marseille-University, 13009 Marseille, France; (O.F.); (N.G.); (C.T.); (S.D.)
| | - François Guyot
- IMPMC (UMR 7590), CNRS, Sorbonne University, 75005 Paris, France;
| | - Michael J. Russell
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Torino, 10124 Torino, Italy;
| | - Simon Duval
- BIP (UMR 7281), CNRS, Aix-Marseille-University, 13009 Marseille, France; (O.F.); (N.G.); (C.T.); (S.D.)
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Kaur H, Rauscher SA, Werner E, Song Y, Yi J, Kazöne W, Martin WF, Tüysüz H, Moran J. A prebiotic Krebs cycle analog generates amino acids with H 2 and NH 3 over nickel. Chem 2024; 10:1528-1540. [PMID: 38803519 PMCID: PMC7616004 DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Hydrogen (H2) has powered microbial metabolism for roughly 4 billion years. The recent discovery that it also fuels geochemical analogs of the most ancient biological carbon fixation pathway sheds light on the origin of metabolism. However, it remains unclear whether H2 can sustain more complex nonenzymatic reaction networks. Here, we show that H2 drives the nonenzymatic reductive amination of six biological ketoacids and glyoxylate to give the corresponding amino acids in good yields using ammonium concentrations ranging from 6 to 150 mM. Catalytic amounts of nickel or ground meteorites enable these reactions at 22°C and pH 8. The same conditions promote an H2-dependent ketoacid-forming reductive aldol chemistry that co-occurs with reductive amination, producing a continuous reaction network resembling amino acid synthesis in the metabolic core of ancient microbes. The results support the hypothesis that the earliest biochemical networks could have emerged without enzymes or RNA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harpreet Kaur
- Institut de Science et d’Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), CNRS UMR 7006, Université de Strasbourg, 8 alleé Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Sophia A. Rauscher
- Institut de Science et d’Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), CNRS UMR 7006, Université de Strasbourg, 8 alleé Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Emilie Werner
- Institut de Science et d’Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), CNRS UMR 7006, Université de Strasbourg, 8 alleé Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Youngdong Song
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Jing Yi
- Institut de Science et d’Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), CNRS UMR 7006, Université de Strasbourg, 8 alleé Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Wahnyalo Kazöne
- Institut de Science et d’Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), CNRS UMR 7006, Université de Strasbourg, 8 alleé Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - William F. Martin
- Institute for Molecular Evolution, Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Harun Tüysüz
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Joseph Moran
- Institut de Science et d’Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), CNRS UMR 7006, Université de Strasbourg, 8 alleé Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, 75005 Paris, France
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Williamson MP. Autocatalytic Selection as a Driver for the Origin of Life. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:590. [PMID: 38792611 PMCID: PMC11122578 DOI: 10.3390/life14050590] [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: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection was revolutionary because it provided a mechanism by which variation could be selected. This mechanism can only operate on living systems and thus cannot be applied to the origin of life. Here, we propose a viable alternative mechanism for prebiotic systems: autocatalytic selection, in which molecules catalyze reactions and processes that lead to increases in their concentration. Crucially, this provides a driver for increases in concentrations of molecules to a level that permits prebiotic metabolism. We show how this can produce high levels of amino acids, sugar phosphates, nucleotides and lipids and then lead on to polymers. Our outline is supported by a set of guidelines to support the identification of the most likely prebiotic routes. Most of the steps in this pathway are already supported by experimental results. These proposals generate a coherent and viable set of pathways that run from established Hadean geochemistry to the beginning of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mike P Williamson
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Goldford JE, Smith HB, Longo LM, Wing BA, McGlynn SE. Primitive purine biosynthesis connects ancient geochemistry to modern metabolism. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:999-1009. [PMID: 38519634 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02361-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
An unresolved question in the origin and evolution of life is whether a continuous path from geochemical precursors to the majority of molecules in the biosphere can be reconstructed from modern-day biochemistry. Here we identified a feasible path by simulating the evolution of biosphere-scale metabolism, using only known biochemical reactions and models of primitive coenzymes. We find that purine synthesis constitutes a bottleneck for metabolic expansion, which can be alleviated by non-autocatalytic phosphoryl coupling agents. Early phases of the expansion are enriched with enzymes that are metal dependent and structurally symmetric, supporting models of early biochemical evolution. This expansion trajectory suggests distinct hypotheses regarding the tempo, mode and timing of metabolic pathway evolution, including a late appearance of methane metabolisms and oxygenic photosynthesis consistent with the geochemical record. The concordance between biological and geological analyses suggests that this trajectory provides a plausible evolutionary history for the vast majority of core biochemistry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua E Goldford
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
- Physics of Living Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Harrison B Smith
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Liam M Longo
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Boswell A Wing
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Shawn Erin McGlynn
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
- Biofunctional Catalyst Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kotsyurbenko OR, Kompanichenko VN, Brouchkov AV, Khrunyk YY, Karlov SP, Sorokin VV, Skladnev DA. Different Scenarios for the Origin and the Subsequent Succession of a Hypothetical Microbial Community in the Cloud Layer of Venus. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:423-441. [PMID: 38563825 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The possible existence of a microbial community in the venusian clouds is one of the most intriguing hypotheses in modern astrobiology. Such a community must be characterized by a high survivability potential under severe environmental conditions, the most extreme of which are very low pH levels and water activity. Considering different scenarios for the origin of life and geological history of our planet, a few of these scenarios are discussed in the context of the origin of hypothetical microbial life within the venusian cloud layer. The existence of liquid water on the surface of ancient Venus is one of the key outstanding questions influencing this possibility. We link the inherent attributes of microbial life as we know it that favor the persistence of life in such an environment and review the possible scenarios of life's origin and its evolution under a strong greenhouse effect and loss of water on Venus. We also propose a roadmap and describe a novel methodological approach for astrobiological research in the framework of future missions to Venus with the intent to reveal whether life exists today on the planet.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oleg R Kotsyurbenko
- Higher School of Ecology, Yugra State University, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
- Network of Researchers on the Chemical Evolution of Life, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Vladimir N Kompanichenko
- Network of Researchers on the Chemical Evolution of Life, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Institute for Complex Analysis of Regional Problems RAS, Birobidzhan, Russia
| | | | - Yuliya Y Khrunyk
- Department of Heat Treatment and Physics of Metal, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Sergey P Karlov
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Moscow Polytechnic University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir V Sorokin
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry A Skladnev
- Network of Researchers on the Chemical Evolution of Life, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Brabender M, Henriques Pereira DP, Mrnjavac N, Schlikker ML, Kimura ZI, Sucharitakul J, Kleinermanns K, Tüysüz H, Buckel W, Preiner M, Martin WF. Ferredoxin reduction by hydrogen with iron functions as an evolutionary precursor of flavin-based electron bifurcation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318969121. [PMID: 38513105 PMCID: PMC7615787 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318969121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Autotrophic theories for the origin of metabolism posit that the first cells satisfied their carbon needs from CO2 and were chemolithoautotrophs that obtained their energy and electrons from H2. The acetyl-CoA pathway of CO2 fixation is central to that view because of its antiquity: Among known CO2 fixing pathways it is the only one that is i) exergonic, ii) occurs in both bacteria and archaea, and iii) can be functionally replaced in full by single transition metal catalysts in vitro. In order to operate in cells at a pH close to 7, however, the acetyl-CoA pathway requires complex multi-enzyme systems capable of flavin-based electron bifurcation that reduce low potential ferredoxin-the physiological donor of electrons in the acetyl-CoA pathway-with electrons from H2. How can the acetyl-CoA pathway be primordial if it requires flavin-based electron bifurcation? Here, we show that native iron (Fe0), but not Ni0, Co0, Mo0, NiFe, Ni2Fe, Ni3Fe, or Fe3O4, promotes the H2-dependent reduction of aqueous Clostridium pasteurianum ferredoxin at pH 8.5 or higher within a few hours at 40 °C, providing the physiological function of flavin-based electron bifurcation, but without the help of enzymes or organic redox cofactors. H2-dependent ferredoxin reduction by iron ties primordial ferredoxin reduction and early metabolic evolution to a chemical process in the Earth's crust promoted by solid-state iron, a metal that is still deposited in serpentinizing hydrothermal vents today.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Max Brabender
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf40225, Germany
| | - Delfina P. Henriques Pereira
- Microcosm Earth Center, Research Group for Geochemical Protozymes, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and Philipps University, Marburg35032, Germany
| | - Natalia Mrnjavac
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf40225, Germany
| | - Manon Laura Schlikker
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf40225, Germany
| | - Zen-Ichiro Kimura
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf40225, Germany
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Kure College, Kure, Hiroshima737-8506, Japan
| | - Jeerus Sucharitakul
- Department of Biochemistry, Chulalongkorn University, Patumwan, Bangkok10330, Thailand
| | - Karl Kleinermanns
- Institute for Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf40225, Germany
| | - Harun Tüysüz
- Max Planck Institute for Coal Research, Department of Heterogeneous Catalysis, Mülheim an der Ruhr45470, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Buckel
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg35043, Germany
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Philipps University, Marburg35043, Germany
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology SYNMIKRO, Philipps University, Marburg35043, Germany
| | - Martina Preiner
- Microcosm Earth Center, Research Group for Geochemical Protozymes, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and Philipps University, Marburg35032, Germany
| | - William F. Martin
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf40225, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Bozdag GO, Szeinbaum N, Conlin PL, Chen K, Fos SM, Garcia A, Penev PI, Schaible GA, Trubl G. Chapter 5: Major Biological Innovations in the History of Life on Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S107-S123. [PMID: 38498818 PMCID: PMC11071111 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
All organisms living on Earth descended from a single, common ancestral population of cells, known as LUCA-the last universal common ancestor. Since its emergence, the diversity and complexity of life have increased dramatically. This chapter focuses on four key biological innovations throughout Earth's history that had a significant impact on the expansion of phylogenetic diversity, organismal complexity, and ecospace habitation. First is the emergence of the last universal common ancestor, LUCA, which laid the foundation for all life-forms on Earth. Second is the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis, which resulted in global geochemical and biological transformations. Third is the appearance of a new type of cell-the eukaryotic cell-which led to the origin of a new domain of life and the basis for complex multicellularity. Fourth is the multiple independent origins of multicellularity, resulting in the emergence of a new level of complex individuality. A discussion of these four key events will improve our understanding of the intertwined history of our planet and its inhabitants and better inform the extent to which we can expect life at different degrees of diversity and complexity elsewhere.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G. Ozan Bozdag
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nadia Szeinbaum
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Peter L. Conlin
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kimberly Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Santiago Mestre Fos
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amanda Garcia
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Petar I. Penev
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - George A. Schaible
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Gareth Trubl
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Fairchild J, Islam S, Singh J, Bučar DK, Powner MW. Prebiotically plausible chemoselective pantetheine synthesis in water. Science 2024; 383:911-918. [PMID: 38386754 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk4432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Coenzyme A (CoA) is essential to all life on Earth, and its functional subunit, pantetheine, is important in many origin-of-life scenarios, but how pantetheine emerged on the early Earth remains a mystery. Earlier attempts to selectively synthesize pantetheine failed, leading to suggestions that "simpler" thiols must have preceded pantetheine at the origin of life. In this work, we report high-yielding and selective prebiotic syntheses of pantetheine in water. Chemoselective multicomponent aldol, iminolactone, and aminonitrile reactions delivered spontaneous differentiation of pantoic acid and proteinogenic amino acid syntheses, as well as the dihydroxyl, gem-dimethyl, and β-alanine-amide moieties of pantetheine in dilute water. Our results are consistent with a role for canonical pantetheine at the outset of life on Earth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Fairchild
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | - Saidul Islam
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, UK
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for the Physical Science of Life, King's College London, London SE1 1DB, UK
| | - Jyoti Singh
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, UK
| | | | - Matthew W Powner
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Song Y, Beyazay T, Tüysüz H. Effect of Alkali- and Alkaline-Earth-Metal Promoters on Silica-Supported Co-Fe Alloy for Autocatalytic CO 2 Fixation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316110. [PMID: 38127486 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Hydrothermal vents harbor numerous microbial communities rich in reduced carbon species such as formate, acetate, and hydrocarbons. Such essential chemicals for life are produced by H2 -dependent CO2 reduction, where serpentinization provides continuous H2 and thermal energy. Here, we show that silica-supported bimetallic Co-Fe alloys, naturally occurring minerals around serpentinite, can convert CO2 and H2 O to key metabolic intermediates of the acetyl coenzyme A pathway such as formate (up to 72 mM), acetate, and pyruvate under mild hydrothermal vent conditions. Long-chain hydrocarbons up to C6 including propene are also detected, just as in the Lost City hydrothermal field. The effects of promoters on structural properties and catalytic functionalities of the Co-Fe alloy are systematically investigated by incorporating a series of alkali and alkaline earth metals including Na, Mg, K, and Ca. Alkali and alkaline earth metals resulted in higher formate concentrations when dissolved in water and increased reaction pH, while alkaline earth metals also favored the formation of insoluble hydroxides and carbonates similar to the constituent minerals of the chimneys at the Lost City hydrothermal fields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Youngdong Song
- Department of Heterogeneous Catalysis, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Tuğçe Beyazay
- Department of Heterogeneous Catalysis, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Harun Tüysüz
- Department of Heterogeneous Catalysis, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Brunk CF, Marshall CR. Opinion: The Key Steps in the Origin of Life to the Formation of the Eukaryotic Cell. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:226. [PMID: 38398735 PMCID: PMC10890422 DOI: 10.3390/life14020226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The path from life's origin to the emergence of the eukaryotic cell was long and complex, and as such it is rarely treated in one publication. Here, we offer a sketch of this path, recognizing that there are points of disagreement and that many transitions are still shrouded in mystery. We assume life developed within microchambers of an alkaline hydrothermal vent system. Initial simple reactions were built into more sophisticated reflexively autocatalytic food-generated networks (RAFs), laying the foundation for life's anastomosing metabolism, and eventually for the origin of RNA, which functioned as a genetic repository and as a catalyst (ribozymes). Eventually, protein synthesis developed, leading to life's biology becoming dominated by enzymes and not ribozymes. Subsequent enzymatic innovation included ATP synthase, which generates ATP, fueled by the proton gradient between the alkaline vent flux and the acidic sea. This gradient was later internalized via the evolution of the electron transport chain, a preadaptation for the subsequent emergence of the vent creatures from their microchamber cradles. Differences between bacteria and archaea suggests cellularization evolved at least twice. Later, the bacterial development of oxidative phosphorylation and the archaeal development of proteins to stabilize its DNA laid the foundation for the merger that led to the formation of eukaryotic cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clifford F. Brunk
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
| | - Charles R. Marshall
- Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-4780, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Knoll P, Ouyang B, Steinbock O. Patterns Lead the Way to Far-from-Equilibrium Materials. ACS PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY AU 2024; 4:19-30. [PMID: 38283788 PMCID: PMC10811769 DOI: 10.1021/acsphyschemau.3c00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
The universe is a complex fabric of repeating patterns that unfold their beauty in system-specific diversity. The periodic table, crystallography, and the genetic code are classic examples that illustrate how even a small number of rules generate a vast range of shapes and structures. Today, we are on the brink of an AI-driven revolution that will reveal an unprecedented number of novel patterns, many of which will escape human intuition and expertise. We suggest that in the second half of the 21st century, the challenge for Physical Chemistry will be to guide and interpret these advances in the broader context of physical sciences and materials-related engineering. If we succeed in this role, Physical Chemistry will be able to extend to new horizons. In this article, we will discuss examples that strike us as particularly promising, specifically the discovery of high-entropy and far-from-equilibrium materials as well as applications to origins-of-life research and the search for life on other planets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Knoll
- School
of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Condensed Matter and Complex
Systems, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, U.K.
| | - Bin Ouyang
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State
University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4390, United States
| | - Oliver Steinbock
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State
University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4390, United States
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Zimmermann J, Mayer RJ, Moran J. A single phosphorylation mechanism in early metabolism - the case of phosphoenolpyruvate. Chem Sci 2023; 14:14100-14108. [PMID: 38098731 PMCID: PMC10717536 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc04116f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphorylation is thought to be one of the fundamental reactions for the emergence of metabolism. Nearly all enzymatic phosphorylation reactions in the anabolic core of microbial metabolism act on carboxylates to give acyl phosphates, with a notable exception - the phosphorylation of pyruvate to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), which involves an enolate. We wondered whether an ancestral mechanism for the phosphorylation of pyruvate to PEP could also have involved carboxylate phosphorylation rather than the modern enzymatic form. The phosphorylation of pyruvate with P4O10 as a model phosphorylating agent was found to indeed occur via carboxylate phosphorylation, as verified by mechanistic studies using model substrates, time course experiments, liquid and solid-state NMR spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. The in situ generated acyl phosphate subsequently undergoes an intramolecular phosphoryl transfer to yield PEP. A single phosphorylation mechanism acting on carboxylates appears sufficient to initiate metabolic networks that include PEP, strengthening the case that metabolism emerged from self-organized chemistry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joris Zimmermann
- Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), CNRS UMR 7006, Université de Strasbourg 8 Allée Gaspard Monge 67000 Strasbourg France
| | - Robert J Mayer
- Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), CNRS UMR 7006, Université de Strasbourg 8 Allée Gaspard Monge 67000 Strasbourg France
| | - Joseph Moran
- Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), CNRS UMR 7006, Université de Strasbourg 8 Allée Gaspard Monge 67000 Strasbourg France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) France
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Bhattacharya A, Tanwar L, Fracassi A, Brea RJ, Salvador-Castell M, Khanal S, Sinha SK, Devaraj NK. Chemoselective Esterification of Natural and Prebiotic 1,2-Amino Alcohol Amphiphiles in Water. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:27149-27159. [PMID: 38039527 PMCID: PMC10722506 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c12038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
In cells, a vast number of membrane lipids are formed by the enzymatic O-acylation of polar head groups with acylating agents such as fatty acyl-CoAs. Although such ester-containing lipids appear to be a requirement for life on earth, it is unclear if similar types of lipids could have spontaneously formed in the absence of enzymatic machinery at the origin of life. There are few examples of enzyme-free esterification of amphiphiles in water and none that can occur in water at physiological pH using biochemically relevant acylating agents. Here we report the unexpected chemoselective O-acylation of 1,2-amino alcohol amphiphiles in water directed by Cu(II) and several other transition metal ions. In buffers containing Cu(II) ions, mixing biological 1,2-amino alcohol amphiphiles such as sphingosylphosphorylcholine with biochemically relevant acylating agents, namely, acyl adenylates and acyl-CoAs, leads to the formation of the O-acylation product with high selectivity. The resulting O-acylated sphingolipids self-assemble into vesicles with markedly different biophysical properties than those formed from their N-acyl counterparts. We also demonstrate that Cu(II) can direct the O-acylation of alternative 1,2-amino alcohols, including prebiotically relevant 1,2-amino alcohol amphiphiles, suggesting that simple mechanisms for aqueous esterification may have been prevalent on earth before the evolution of enzymes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahanjit Bhattacharya
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Lalita Tanwar
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Alessandro Fracassi
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Roberto J. Brea
- Biomimetic
Membrane Chemistry (BioMemChem) Group, Centro de Investigacións
Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Universidade
da Coruña, Rúa As Carballeiras, 15701, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Marta Salvador-Castell
- Department
of Physics, University of California, San
Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Satyam Khanal
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Sunil K. Sinha
- Department
of Physics, University of California, San
Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Neal K. Devaraj
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Vulcano F, Hribovšek P, Denny EO, Steen IH, Stokke R. Potential for homoacetogenesis via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway in Korarchaeia lineages from marine hydrothermal vents. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2023; 15:698-707. [PMID: 37218095 PMCID: PMC10667645 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP) is a key metabolic component of acetogenic bacteria where it acts as an electron sink. In Archaea, despite traditionally being linked to methanogenesis, the pathway has been found in several Thermoproteota and Asgardarchaeota lineages. In Bathyarchaeia and Lokiarchaeia, its presence has been linked to a homoacetogenic metabolism. Genomic evidence from marine hydrothermal genomes suggests that lineages of Korarchaeia could also encode the WLP. In this study, we reconstructed 50 Korarchaeia genomes from marine hydrothermal vents along the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge, substantially expanding the Korarchaeia class with several taxonomically novel genomes. We identified a complete WLP in several deep-branching lineages, showing that the presence of the WLP is conserved at the root of the Korarchaeia. No methyl-CoM reductases were encoded by genomes with the WLP, indicating that the WLP is not linked to methanogenesis. By assessing the distribution of hydrogenases and membrane complexes for energy conservation, we show that the WLP is likely used as an electron sink in a fermentative homoacetogenic metabolism. Our study confirms previous hypotheses that the WLP has evolved independently from the methanogenic metabolism in Archaea, perhaps due to its propensity to be combined with heterotrophic fermentative metabolisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Vulcano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Deep Sea ResearchUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
| | - Petra Hribovšek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Deep Sea ResearchUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
- Department of Earth Science, Centre for Deep Sea ResearchUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
| | - Emily Olesin Denny
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Deep Sea ResearchUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
- Department of Informatics, Computational Biological UnitUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
| | - Ida H. Steen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Deep Sea ResearchUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
| | - Runar Stokke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Deep Sea ResearchUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Fisk M, Popa R. Decorated Vesicles as Prebiont Systems (a Hypothesis). ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2023; 53:187-203. [PMID: 38072914 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-023-09643-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/31/2023]
Abstract
Decorated vesicles in deep, seafloor basalts form abiotically, but show at least four life-analogous features, which makes them a candidate for origin of life research. These features are a physical enclosure, carbon-assimilatory catalysts, semi-permeable boundaries, and a source of usable energy. The nanometer-to-micron-sized spherules on the inner walls of decorated vesicles are proposed to function as mineral proto-enzymes. Chemically, these structures resemble synthetic FeS clusters shown to convert CO2, CO and H2 into methane, formate, and acetate. Secondary phyllosilicate minerals line the vesicles' inner walls and can span openings in the vesicles and thus can act as molecular sieves between the vesicles' interior and the surrounding aquifer. Lastly, basalt glass in the vesicle walls takes up protons, which replace cations in the silicate framework. This results in an inward proton flux, reciprocal outward flux of metal cations, more alkaline pH inside the vesicle than outside, and production of more phyllosilicates. Such life-like features could have been exploited to move decorated vesicles toward protolife systems. Decorated vesicles are proposed as study models of prebiotic systems that are expected to have existed on the early Earth and Earth-like exoplanets. Their analysis can lead to better understanding of changes in planetary geocycles during the origin of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Fisk
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97330, USA.
| | - Radu Popa
- River Road Research, Tonawanda, NY, 14150, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Bährle R, Böhnke S, Englhard J, Bachmann J, Perner M. Current status of carbon monoxide dehydrogenases (CODH) and their potential for electrochemical applications. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2023; 10:84. [PMID: 38647803 PMCID: PMC10992861 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-023-00705-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are rising to alarming concentrations in earth's atmosphere, causing adverse effects and global climate changes. In the last century, innovative research on CO2 reduction using chemical, photochemical, electrochemical and enzymatic approaches has been addressed. In particular, natural CO2 conversion serves as a model for many processes and extensive studies on microbes and enzymes regarding redox reactions involving CO2 have already been conducted. In this review we focus on the enzymatic conversion of CO2 to carbon monoxide (CO) as the chemical conversion downstream of CO production render CO particularly attractive as a key intermediate. We briefly discuss the different currently known natural autotrophic CO2 fixation pathways, focusing on the reversible reaction of CO2, two electrons and protons to CO and water, catalyzed by carbon monoxide dehydrogenases (CODHs). We then move on to classify the different type of CODHs, involved catalyzed chemical reactions and coupled metabolisms. Finally, we discuss applications of CODH enzymes in photochemical and electrochemical cells to harness CO2 from the environment transforming it into commodity chemicals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Bährle
- Department of Marine Geomicrobiology, Faculty of Marine Biogeochemistry, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany
| | - Stefanie Böhnke
- Department of Marine Geomicrobiology, Faculty of Marine Biogeochemistry, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jonas Englhard
- Chemistry of Thin Film Materials, IZNF, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstr. 3, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Julien Bachmann
- Chemistry of Thin Film Materials, IZNF, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstr. 3, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Mirjam Perner
- Department of Marine Geomicrobiology, Faculty of Marine Biogeochemistry, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Ge Q, Liu Y, You W, Wang W, Li K, Ruan X, Xie L, Wang T, Zhang L. Prebiotic synthesis of mineral-bearing microdroplet from inorganic carbon photoreduction at air-water interface. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad389. [PMID: 38034096 PMCID: PMC10682977 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The origin of life on Earth is an enigmatic and intricate conundrum that has yet to be comprehensively resolved despite recent significant developments within the discipline of archaeology and geology. Chemically, metal-sulfide minerals are speculated to serve as an important medium for giving birth in early life, while yet so far direct evidence to support the hypothesis for the highly efficient conversion of inorganic carbon into praxiological biomolecules remains scarce. In this work, we provide an initial indication that sphalerite, employed as a typical mineral, shows its enormous capability for promoting the conversion of inorganic carbon into elementary biomolecule formic acid (HCOOH) in airborne mineral-bearing aerosol microdroplet, which is over two orders of magnitude higher than that of the corresponding conventional bulk-like aqueous phase medium in the environment (e.g. river, lake, sea, etc.). This significant enhancement was further validated by a wide range of minerals and clays, including CuS, NiS, CoS, CdS, MnS, elemental sulfur, Arizona Test Dust, loess, nontronite, and montmorillonite. We reveal that the abundant interface of unique physical-chemical features instinct for aerosol or cloud microdroplets reduces the reaction energy barrier for the reaction, thus leading to extremely high HCOOH production (2.52 × 1014 kg year-1). This study unfolds unrecognized remarkable contributions of the considered scheme in the accumulation of prebiotic biomolecules in the ancient period of the Earth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyue Ge
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Yangyang Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Wenbo You
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Kejian Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Xuejun Ruan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Lifang Xie
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Tao Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Liwu Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, IRDR International Center of Excellence on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Ju Y, Zhang H, Jiang Y, Wang W, Kan G, Yu K, Wang X, Liu J, Jiang J. Aqueous microdroplets promote C-C bond formation and sequences in the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1892-1902. [PMID: 37679455 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02193-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
The reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle (rTCA) is a central anabolic network that uses carbon dioxide (CO2) and may have provided complex carbon substrates for life before the advent of RNA or enzymes. However, non-enzymatic promotion of the rTCA cycle, in particular carbon fixation, remains challenging, even with primordial metal catalysis. Here, we report that the fixation of CO2 by reductive carboxylation of succinate and α-ketoglutarate was achieved in aqueous microdroplets under ambient conditions without the use of catalysts. Under identical conditions, the aqueous microdroplets also facilitated the sequences in the rTCA cycle, including reduction, hydration, dehydration and retro-aldol cleavage and linked with the glyoxylate cycle. These reactions of the rTCA cycle were compatible with the aqueous microdroplets, as demonstrated with two-reaction and four-reaction sequences. A higher selectivity giving higher product yields was also observed. Our results suggest that the microdroplets provide an energetically favourable microenvironment and facilitate a non-enzymatic version of the rTCA cycle in prebiotic carbon anabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Ju
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
| | - Hong Zhang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China.
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China.
| | - Yanxiao Jiang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
| | - Wenxin Wang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
| | - Guangfeng Kan
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
| | - Kai Yu
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
| | - Jilin Liu
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China
| | - Jie Jiang
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai, PR China.
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China.
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Mrnjavac N, Wimmer JLE, Brabender M, Schwander L, Martin WF. The Moon-Forming Impact and the Autotrophic Origin of Life. Chempluschem 2023; 88:e202300270. [PMID: 37812146 PMCID: PMC7615287 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202300270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The Moon-forming impact vaporized part of Earth's mantle, and turned the rest into a magma ocean, from which carbon dioxide degassed into the atmosphere, where it stayed until water rained out to form the oceans. The rain dissolved CO2 and made it available to react with transition metal catalysts in the Earth's crust so as to ultimately generate the organic compounds that form the backbone of microbial metabolism. The Moon-forming impact was key in building a planet with the capacity to generate life in that it converted carbon on Earth into a homogeneous and accessible substrate for organic synthesis. Today all ecosystems, without exception, depend upon primary producers, organisms that fix CO2 . According to theories of autotrophic origin, it has always been that way, because autotrophic theories posit that the first forms of life generated all the molecules needed to build a cell from CO2 , forging a direct line of continuity between Earth's initial CO2 -rich atmosphere and the first microorganisms. By modern accounts these were chemolithoautotrophic archaea and bacteria that initially colonized the crust and still inhabit that environment today.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Mrnjavac
- Department of Biology Institute for Molecular Evolution Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf Universitaetsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf (Germany)
| | - Jessica L. E. Wimmer
- Department of Biology Institute for Molecular Evolution Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf Universitaetsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf (Germany)
| | - Max Brabender
- Department of Biology Institute for Molecular Evolution Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf Universitaetsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf (Germany)
| | - Loraine Schwander
- Department of Biology Institute for Molecular Evolution Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf Universitaetsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf (Germany)
| | - William F. Martin
- Department of Biology Institute for Molecular Evolution Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf Universitaetsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf (Germany)
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Sardana D, Alam P, Yadav K, Clovis NS, Kumar P, Sen S. Unusual similarity of DNA solvation dynamics in high-salinity crowding with divalent cations of varying concentrations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:27744-27755. [PMID: 37814577 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02606j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Double-stranded DNA bears the highest linear negative charge density (2e- per base-pair) among all biopolymers, leading to strong interactions with cations and dipolar water, resulting in the formation of a dense 'condensation layer' around DNA. Interactions involving proteins and ligands binding to DNA are primarily governed by strong electrostatic forces. Increased salt concentrations impede such electrostatic interactions - a situation that prevails in oceanic species due to their cytoplasm being enriched with salts. Nevertheless, how these interactions' dynamics are affected in crowded hypersaline environments remains largely unexplored. Here, we employ steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence Stokes shifts (TRFSS) of a DNA-bound ligand (DAPI) to investigate the static and dynamic solvation properties of DNA in the presence of two divalent cations, magnesium (Mg2+), and calcium (Ca2+) at varying high to very-high concentrations of 0.15 M, 1 M and 2 M. We compare the results to those obtained in physiological concentrations (0.15 M) of monovalent Na+ ions. Combining data from fluorescence femtosecond optical gating (FOG) and time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) techniques, dynamic fluorescence Stokes shifts in DNA are analysed over a broad range of time-scales, from 100 fs to 10 ns. We find that while divalent cation crowding strongly influences the DNA stability and ligand binding affinity to DNA, the dynamics of DNA solvation remain remarkably similar across a broad range of five decades in time, even in a high-salinity crowded environment with divalent cations, as compared to the physiological concentration of the Na+ ion. Steady-state and time-resolved data of the DNA-groove-bound ligand are seemingly unaffected by ion-crowding in hypersaline solution, possibly due to ions being mostly displaced by the DNA-bound ligand. Furthermore, the dynamic coupling of cations with nearby water may possibly contribute to a net-neutral effect on the overall collective solvation dynamics in DNA, owing to the strong anti-correlation of their electrostatic interaction energy fluctuations. Such dynamic scenarios may persist within the cellular environment of marine life and other biological cells that experience hypersaline conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Sardana
- Spectroscopy Laboratory, School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India.
| | - Parvez Alam
- Spectroscopy Laboratory, School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India.
| | - Kavita Yadav
- Spectroscopy Laboratory, School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India.
| | - Ndege Simisi Clovis
- Spectroscopy Laboratory, School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India.
| | - Pramod Kumar
- Spectroscopy Laboratory, School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India.
| | - Sobhan Sen
- Spectroscopy Laboratory, School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Bechtel M, Ebeling M, Huber L, Trapp O. (Photoredox) Organocatalysis in the Emergence of Life: Discovery, Applications, and Molecular Evolution. Acc Chem Res 2023; 56:2801-2813. [PMID: 37752618 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
ConspectusLife as we know it is built on complex and perfectly interlocking processes that have evolved over millions of years through evolutionary optimization processes. The emergence of life from nonliving matter and the evolution of such highly efficient systems therefore constitute an enormous synthetic and systems chemistry challenge. Advances in supramolecular and systems chemistry are opening new perspectives that provide insights into living and self-sustaining reaction networks as precursors for life. However, the ab initio synthesis of such a system requires the possibility of autonomous optimization of catalytic properties and, consequently, of an evolutionary system at the molecular level. In this Account, we present our discovery of the formation of substituted imidazolidine-4-thiones (photoredox) organocatalysts from simple prebiotic building blocks such as aldehydes and ketones under Strecker reaction conditions with ammonia and cyanides in the presence of hydrogen sulfide. The necessary aldehydes are formed from CO2 and hydrogen under prebiotically plausible meteoritic or volcanic iron-particle catalysis in the atmosphere of the early Earth. Remarkably, the investigated imidazolidine-4-thiones undergo spontaneous resolution by conglomerate crystallization, opening a pathway for symmetry breaking, chiral amplification, and enantioselective organocatalysis. These imidazolidine-4-thiones enable α-alkylations of aldehydes and ketones by photoredox organocatalysis. Therefore, these photoredox organocatalysts are able to modify their aldehyde building blocks, which leads in an evolutionary process to mutated second-generation and third-generation catalysts. In our experimental studies, we found that this mutation can occur not only by new formation of the imidazolidine core structure of the catalyst from modified aldehyde building blocks or by continuous supply from a pool of available building blocks but also by a dynamic exchange of the carbonyl moiety in ring position 2 of the imidazolidine moiety. Remarkably, it can be shown that by incorporating aldehyde building blocks from their environment, the imidazolidine-4-thiones are able to change and adapt to altering environmental conditions without undergoing the entire formation process. The selection of the mutated catalysts is then based on the different catalytic activities in the modification of the aldehyde building blocks and on the catalysis of subsequent processes that can lead to the formation of molecular reaction networks as progenitors for cellular processes. We were able to show that these imidazolidine-4-thiones not only enable α-alkylations but also facilitate other important transformations, such as the selective phosphorylation of nucleosides to nucleotides as a key step leading to the oligomerization to RNA and DNA. It can therefore be expected that evolutionary processes have already taken place on a small molecular level and have thus developed chemical tools that change over time, representing a hidden layer on the path to enzymatically catalyzed biochemical processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Bechtel
- Department Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 München, Germany
| | - Marian Ebeling
- Department Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 München, Germany
| | - Laura Huber
- Department Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 München, Germany
| | - Oliver Trapp
- Department Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 München, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Werner E, Pinna S, Mayer RJ, Moran J. Metal/ADP Complexes Promote Phosphorylation of Ribonucleotides. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:21630-21637. [PMID: 37750669 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c08047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Under enzyme catalysis, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) transfers a phosphoryl group to canonical ribonucleotide diphosphates (NDPs) to form ribonucleotide triphosphates (NTPs), the direct biosynthetic precursors to RNA. However, it remains unclear whether the phosphorylation of NDPs could have occurred in water before enzymes existed and why an adenosine derivative, rather than another canonical NTP, typically performs this function. Here, we show that adenosine diphosphate (ADP) in the presence of Fe3+ or Al3+ promotes phosphoryl transfer from acetyl phosphate to all canonical NDPs to produce their corresponding NTP in water at room temperature and in the absence of enzymes. No other NDPs were found to promote phosphorylation, giving insight into why adenosine derivatives specifically became used for this purpose in biology. The metal-ADP complexes also promote phosphoryl transfer to ribonucleoside monophosphates (NMPs) to form a mixture of the corresponding NDPs and NTPs, albeit less efficiently. This work represents a rare example in which a single nucleotide carries out a function critical to biology without enzymes. ADP-metal complexes may have played an important role in nucleotide phosphorylation in prebiotic chemistry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Werner
- ISIS UMR 7006, University of Strasbourg, CNRS, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Silvana Pinna
- ISIS UMR 7006, University of Strasbourg, CNRS, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Robert J Mayer
- ISIS UMR 7006, University of Strasbourg, CNRS, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Joseph Moran
- ISIS UMR 7006, University of Strasbourg, CNRS, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 75005 Paris, France
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Schwander L, Brabender M, Mrnjavac N, Wimmer JLE, Preiner M, Martin WF. Serpentinization as the source of energy, electrons, organics, catalysts, nutrients and pH gradients for the origin of LUCA and life. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1257597. [PMID: 37854333 PMCID: PMC10581274 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1257597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Serpentinization in hydrothermal vents is central to some autotrophic theories for the origin of life because it generates compartments, reductants, catalysts and gradients. During the process of serpentinization, water circulates through hydrothermal systems in the crust where it oxidizes Fe (II) in ultramafic minerals to generate Fe (III) minerals and H2. Molecular hydrogen can, in turn, serve as a freely diffusible source of electrons for the reduction of CO2 to organic compounds, provided that suitable catalysts are present. Using catalysts that are naturally synthesized in hydrothermal vents during serpentinization H2 reduces CO2 to formate, acetate, pyruvate, and methane. These compounds represent the backbone of microbial carbon and energy metabolism in acetogens and methanogens, strictly anaerobic chemolithoautotrophs that use the acetyl-CoA pathway of CO2 fixation and that inhabit serpentinizing environments today. Serpentinization generates reduced carbon, nitrogen and - as newer findings suggest - reduced phosphorous compounds that were likely conducive to the origins process. In addition, it gives rise to inorganic microcompartments and proton gradients of the right polarity and of sufficient magnitude to support chemiosmotic ATP synthesis by the rotor-stator ATP synthase. This would help to explain why the principle of chemiosmotic energy harnessing is more conserved (older) than the machinery to generate ion gradients via pumping coupled to exergonic chemical reactions, which in the case of acetogens and methanogens involve H2-dependent CO2 reduction. Serpentinizing systems exist in terrestrial and deep ocean environments. On the early Earth they were probably more abundant than today. There is evidence that serpentinization once occurred on Mars and is likely still occurring on Saturn's icy moon Enceladus, providing a perspective on serpentinization as a source of reductants, catalysts and chemical disequilibrium for life on other worlds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Loraine Schwander
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Biology Department, Math. -Nat. Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Max Brabender
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Biology Department, Math. -Nat. Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Natalia Mrnjavac
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Biology Department, Math. -Nat. Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jessica L. E. Wimmer
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Biology Department, Math. -Nat. Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Martina Preiner
- Microcosm Earth Center, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and Philipps-Universität, Marburg, Germany
| | - William F. Martin
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Biology Department, Math. -Nat. Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Carr CE, Ramírez-Colón JL, Duzdevich D, Lee S, Taniguchi M, Ohshiro T, Komoto Y, Soderblom JM, Zuber MT. Solid-State Single-Molecule Sensing with the Electronic Life-Detection Instrument for Enceladus/Europa (ELIE). ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:1056-1070. [PMID: 37782210 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence of the potential habitability of Ocean Worlds across our solar system is motivating the advancement of technologies capable of detecting life as we know it-sharing a common ancestry or physicochemical origin with life on Earth-or don't know it, representing a distinct emergence of life different than our one known example. Here, we propose the Electronic Life-detection Instrument for Enceladus/Europa (ELIE), a solid-state single-molecule instrument payload that aims to search for life based on the detection of amino acids and informational polymers (IPs) at the parts per billion to trillion level. As a first proof-of-principle in a laboratory environment, we demonstrate the single-molecule detection of the amino acid L-proline at a 10 μM concentration in a compact system. Based on ELIE's solid-state quantum electronic tunneling sensing mechanism, we further propose the quantum property of the HOMO-LUMO gap (energy difference between a molecule's highest energy-occupied molecular orbital and lowest energy-unoccupied molecular orbital) as a novel metric to assess amino acid complexity. Finally, we assess the potential of ELIE to discriminate between abiotically and biotically derived α-amino acid abundance distributions to reduce the false positive risk for life detection. Nanogap technology can also be applied to the detection of nucleobases and short sequences of IPs such as, but not limited to, RNA and DNA. Future missions may utilize ELIE to target preserved biosignatures on the surface of Mars, extant life in its deep subsurface, or life or its biosignatures in a plume, surface, or subsurface of ice moons such as Enceladus or Europa. One-Sentence Summary: A solid-state nanogap can determine the abundance distribution of amino acids, detect nucleic acids, and shows potential for detecting life as we know it and life as we don't know it.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E Carr
- Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - José L Ramírez-Colón
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Daniel Duzdevich
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Molecular Biology, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Current address: Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sam Lee
- MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Masateru Taniguchi
- Osaka University, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takahito Ohshiro
- Osaka University, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuki Komoto
- Osaka University, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka, Japan
| | - Jason M Soderblom
- MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - M T Zuber
- MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Daga KR, Feray Çoşar M, Lowenkron A, Hao J, Rouillard J. Environmental Stability and Its Importance for the Emergence of Darwinian Evolution. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1960. [PMID: 37895342 PMCID: PMC10608181 DOI: 10.3390/life13101960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Darwinian evolution represents a central point in the history of life as we know it. However, it is generally assumed that the environments in which life appeared were hydrothermal environments, with highly variable conditions in terms of pH, temperature or redox levels. Are evolutionary processes favored to appear in such settings, where the target of biological adaptation changes over time? How would the first evolving populations compete with non-evolving populations? Using a numerical model, we explore the effect of environmental variation on the outcome of the competition between evolving and non-evolving populations of protocells. Our study found that, while evolving protocells consistently outcompete non-evolving populations in stable environments, they are outcompeted in variable environments when environmental variations occur on a timescale similar to the average duration of a generation. This is due to the energetic burden represented by adaptation to the wrong environmental conditions. Since the timescale of temperature variation in natural hydrothermal settings overlaps with the average prokaryote generation time, the current work indicates that a solution must have been found by early life to overcome this threshold.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khushi R. Daga
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; (K.R.D.); (M.F.Ç.); (A.L.)
| | - Mensura Feray Çoşar
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; (K.R.D.); (M.F.Ç.); (A.L.)
| | - Abigail Lowenkron
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; (K.R.D.); (M.F.Ç.); (A.L.)
| | - Jihua Hao
- Deep Space Exploration Laboratory/CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Joti Rouillard
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; (K.R.D.); (M.F.Ç.); (A.L.)
- Deep Space Exploration Laboratory/CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Holler S, Bartlett S, Löffler RJG, Casiraghi F, Diaz CIS, Cartwright JHE, Hanczyc MM. Hybrid organic-inorganic structures trigger the formation of primitive cell-like compartments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300491120. [PMID: 37561785 PMCID: PMC10438843 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300491120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Alkaline hydrothermal vents have become a candidate setting for the origins of life on Earth and beyond. This is due to several key features including the presence of gradients of temperature, redox potential, pH, the availability of inorganic minerals, and the existence of a network of inorganic pore spaces that could have served as primitive compartments. Chemical gardens have long been used as experimental proxies for hydrothermal vents. This paper investigates-10pc]Please note that the spelling of the following author name in the manuscript differs from the spelling provided in the article metadata: Richard J. G. Löffler. The spelling provided in the manuscript has been retained; please confirm. a set of prebiotic interactions between such inorganic structures and fatty alcohols. The integration of a medium-chain fatty alcohol, decanol, within these inorganic minerals, produced a range of emergent 3 dimensions structures at both macroscopic and microscopic scales. Fatty alcohols can be considered plausible prebiotic amphiphiles that might have assisted the formation of protocellular structures such as vesicles. The experiments presented herein show that neither chemical gardens nor decanol alone promote vesicle formation, but chemical gardens grown in the presence of decanol, which is then integrated into inorganic mineral structures, support vesicle formation. These observations suggest that the interaction of fatty alcohols and inorganic mineral structures could have played an important role in the emergence of protocells, yielding support for the evolution of living cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Holler
- Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology Department, Laboratory for Artificial Biology, University of Trento, Povo38123, Italy
| | - Stuart Bartlett
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA91125
| | - Richard J. G. Löffler
- Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology Department, Laboratory for Artificial Biology, University of Trento, Povo38123, Italy
| | - Federica Casiraghi
- Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology Department, Laboratory for Artificial Biology, University of Trento, Povo38123, Italy
| | - Claro Ignacio Sainz Diaz
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas–Universidad de Granada, Armilla, Granada18100, Spain
| | - Julyan H. E. Cartwright
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas–Universidad de Granada, Armilla, Granada18100, Spain
- Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada, Granada18071, Spain
| | - Martin M. Hanczyc
- Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology Department, Laboratory for Artificial Biology, University of Trento, Povo38123, Italy
- Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM87106
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Omran A. Plausibility of the Formose Reaction in Alkaline Hydrothermal Vent Environments. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2023; 53:113-125. [PMID: 32749559 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-020-09599-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Prebiotic processes required a reliable source of free energy and complex chemical mixtures that may have included sugars. The formose reaction is a potential source of those sugars. At moderate to elevated temperature and pH ranges, these sugars rapidly decay. Here it is shown that CaCO3-based chemical gardens catalyze the formose reaction to produce glucose, ribose, and other monosaccharides. These thin inorganic membranes are explored as analogs of hydrothermal vent materials-a possible place for the origin of life-and similarly exposed to very steep pH gradients. Supported by simulations of a simple reaction-diffusion model, this study shows that such gradients allow for the dynamic accumulation of sugars in specific layers of the thin membrane, effectively protecting formose sugar yields. Therefore, the formose reaction may be a plausible prebiotic reaction in alkaline hydrothermal vent environments, possibly setting the stage for an RNA world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Omran
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4390, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Russell MJ. A self-sustaining serpentinization mega-engine feeds the fougerite nanoengines implicated in the emergence of guided metabolism. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1145915. [PMID: 37275164 PMCID: PMC10236563 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1145915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The demonstration by Ivan Barnes et al. that the serpentinization of fresh Alpine-type ultramafic rocks results in the exhalation of hot alkaline fluids is foundational to the submarine alkaline vent theory (AVT) for life's emergence to its 'improbable' thermodynamic state. In AVT, such alkaline fluids ≤ 150°C, bearing H2 > CH4 > HS--generated and driven convectively by a serpentinizing exothermic mega-engine operating in the ultramafic crust-exhale into the iron-rich, CO2> > > NO3--bearing Hadean ocean to result in hydrothermal precipitate mounds comprising macromolecular ferroferric-carbonate oxyhydroxide and minor sulfide. As the nanocrystalline minerals fougerite/green rust and mackinawite (FeS), they compose the spontaneously precipitated inorganic membranes that keep the highly contrasting solutions apart, thereby maintaining redox and pH disequilibria. They do so in the form of fine chimneys and chemical gardens. The same disequilibria drive the reduction of CO2 to HCOO- or CO, and the oxidation of CH4 to a methyl group-the two products reacting to form acetate in a sequence antedating the 'energy-producing' acetyl coenzyme-A pathway. Fougerite is a 2D-layered mineral in which the hydrous interlayers themselves harbor 2D solutions, in effect constricted to ~ 1D by preferentially directed electron hopping/tunneling, and proton Gröthuss 'bucket-brigading' when subject to charge. As a redox-driven nanoengine or peristaltic pump, fougerite forces the ordered reduction of nitrate to ammonium, the amination of pyruvate and oxalate to alanine and glycine, and their condensation to short peptides. In turn, these peptides have the flexibility to sequester the founding inorganic iron oxyhydroxide, sulfide, and pyrophosphate clusters, to produce metal- and phosphate-dosed organic films and cells. As the feed to the hydrothermal mound fails, the only equivalent sustenance on offer to the first autotrophs is the still mildly serpentinizing upper crust beneath. While the conditions here are very much less bountiful, they do offer the similar feed and disequilibria the survivors are accustomed to. Sometime during this transition, a replicating non-ribosomal guidance system is discovered to provide the rules to take on the incrementally changing surroundings. The details of how these replicating apparatuses emerged are the hard problem, but by doing so the progenote archaea and bacteria could begin to colonize what would become the deep biosphere. Indeed, that the anaerobic nitrate-respiring methanotrophic archaea and the deep-branching Acetothermia presently comprise a portion of that microbiome occupying serpentinizing rocks offers circumstantial support for this notion. However, the inescapable, if jarring conclusion is drawn that, absent fougerite/green rust, there would be no structured channelway to life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Russell
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Harrison SA, Webb WL, Rammu H, Lane N. Prebiotic Synthesis of Aspartate Using Life's Metabolism as a Guide. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13051177. [PMID: 37240822 DOI: 10.3390/life13051177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A protometabolic approach to the origins of life assumes that the conserved biochemistry of metabolism has direct continuity with prebiotic chemistry. One of the most important amino acids in modern biology is aspartic acid, serving as a nodal metabolite for the synthesis of many other essential biomolecules. Aspartate's prebiotic synthesis is complicated by the instability of its precursor, oxaloacetate. In this paper, we show that the use of the biologically relevant cofactor pyridoxamine, supported by metal ion catalysis, is sufficiently fast to offset oxaloacetate's degradation. Cu2+-catalysed transamination of oxaloacetate by pyridoxamine achieves around a 5% yield within 1 h, and can operate across a broad range of pH, temperature, and pressure. In addition, the synthesis of the downstream product β-alanine may also take place in the same reaction system at very low yields, directly mimicking an archaeal synthesis route. Amino group transfer supported by pyridoxal is shown to take place from aspartate to alanine, but the reverse reaction (alanine to aspartate) shows a poor yield. Overall, our results show that the nodal metabolite aspartate and related amino acids can indeed be synthesised via protometabolic pathways that foreshadow modern metabolism in the presence of the simple cofactor pyridoxamine and metal ions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stuart A Harrison
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution (CLOE), Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - William L Webb
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution (CLOE), Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Hanadi Rammu
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution (CLOE), Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nick Lane
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution (CLOE), Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Wells M, Kim M, Akob DM, Basu P, Stolz JF. Impact of the Dimethyl Sulfoxide Reductase Superfamily on the Evolution of Biogeochemical Cycles. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0414522. [PMID: 36951557 PMCID: PMC10100899 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04145-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The dimethyl sulfoxide reductase (or MopB) family is a diverse assemblage of enzymes found throughout Bacteria and Archaea. Many of these enzymes are believed to have been present in the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) of all cellular lineages. However, gaps in knowledge remain about how MopB enzymes evolved and how this diversification of functions impacted global biogeochemical cycles through geologic time. In this study, we perform maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses on manually curated comparative genomic and metagenomic data sets containing over 47,000 distinct MopB homologs. We demonstrate that these enzymes constitute a catalytically and mechanistically diverse superfamily defined not by the molybdopterin- or tungstopterin-containing [molybdopterin or tungstopterin bis(pyranopterin guanine dinucleotide) (Mo/W-bisPGD)] cofactor but rather by the structural fold that binds it in the protein. Our results suggest that major metabolic innovations were the result of the loss of the metal cofactor or the gain or loss of protein domains. Phylogenetic analyses also demonstrated that formate oxidation and CO2 reduction were the ancestral functions of the superfamily, traits that have been vertically inherited from the LUCA. Nearly all of the other families, which drive all other biogeochemical cycles mediated by this superfamily, originated in the bacterial domain. Thus, organisms from Bacteria have been the key drivers of catalytic and biogeochemical innovations within the superfamily. The relative ordination of MopB families and their associated catalytic activities emphasize fundamental mechanisms of evolution in this superfamily. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of prokaryotic adaptability in response to the transition from an anoxic to an oxidized atmosphere. IMPORTANCE The MopB superfamily constitutes a repertoire of metalloenzymes that are central to enduring mysteries in microbiology, from the origin of life and how microorganisms and biogeochemical cycles have coevolved over deep time to how anaerobic life adapted to increasing concentrations of O2 during the transition from an anoxic to an oxic world. Our work emphasizes that phylogenetic analyses can reveal how domain gain or loss events, the acquisition of novel partner subunits, and the loss of metal cofactors can stimulate novel radiations of enzymes that dramatically increase the catalytic versatility of superfamilies. We also contend that the superfamily concept in protein evolution can uncover surprising kinships between enzymes that have remarkably different catalytic and physiological functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Wells
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Minjae Kim
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Denise M. Akob
- United States Geological Survey, Geology, Energy, and Minerals Science Center, Reston, Virginia, USA
| | - Partha Basu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - John F. Stolz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Marks JH, Wang J, Kleimeier NF, Turner AM, Eckhardt AK, Kaiser RI. Prebiotic Synthesis and Isomerization in Interstellar Analog Ice: Glycinal, Acetamide, and Their Enol Tautomers. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202218645. [PMID: 36702757 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202218645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Glycinal (HCOCH2 NH2 ) and acetamide (CH3 CONH2 ) are simple molecular building blocks of biomolecules in prebiotic chemistry, though their origin on early Earth and formation in interstellar media remain a mystery. These molecules are formed with their tautomers in low temperature interstellar model ices upon interaction with simulated galactic cosmic rays. Glycinal and acetamide are accessed via barrierless radical-radical reactions of vinoxy (⋅CH2 CHO) and acetyl (⋅C(O)CH3 ), and then undergo keto-enol tautomerization. Exploiting tunable photoionization reflectron time-of-flight mass spectroscopy and photoionization efficiency (PIE) curves, these results demonstrate fundamental reaction pathways for the formation of complex organics through non-equilibrium ice reactions in cold molecular cloud environments. These molecules demonstrate an unconventional starting point for abiotic synthesis of organics relevant to contemporary biomolecules like polypeptides and cell membranes in deep space.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua H Marks
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.,W. M. Keck Research Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Jia Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.,W. M. Keck Research Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - N Fabian Kleimeier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.,W. M. Keck Research Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Andrew M Turner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.,W. M. Keck Research Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - André K Eckhardt
- Lehrstuhl für Organische Chemie II, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ralf I Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.,W. M. Keck Research Laboratory in Astrochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Makarov M, Sanchez Rocha AC, Krystufek R, Cherepashuk I, Dzmitruk V, Charnavets T, Faustino AM, Lebl M, Fujishima K, Fried SD, Hlouchova K. Early Selection of the Amino Acid Alphabet Was Adaptively Shaped by Biophysical Constraints of Foldability. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:5320-5329. [PMID: 36826345 PMCID: PMC10017022 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c12987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Whereas modern proteins rely on a quasi-universal repertoire of 20 canonical amino acids (AAs), numerous lines of evidence suggest that ancient proteins relied on a limited alphabet of 10 "early" AAs and that the 10 "late" AAs were products of biosynthetic pathways. However, many nonproteinogenic AAs were also prebiotically available, which begs two fundamental questions: Why do we have the current modern amino acid alphabet and would proteins be able to fold into globular structures as well if different amino acids comprised the genetic code? Here, we experimentally evaluate the solubility and secondary structure propensities of several prebiotically relevant amino acids in the context of synthetic combinatorial 25-mer peptide libraries. The most prebiotically abundant linear aliphatic and basic residues were incorporated along with or in place of other early amino acids to explore these alternative sequence spaces. The results show that foldability was likely a critical factor in the selection of the canonical alphabet. Unbranched aliphatic amino acids were purged from the proteinogenic alphabet despite their high prebiotic abundance because they generate polypeptides that are oversolubilized and have low packing efficiency. Surprisingly, we find that the inclusion of a short-chain basic amino acid also decreases polypeptides' secondary structure potential, for which we suggest a biophysical model. Our results support the view that, despite lacking basic residues, the early canonical alphabet was remarkably adaptive at supporting protein folding and explain why basic residues were only incorporated at a later stage of protein evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Makarov
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague 12843, Czech Republic
| | - Alma C Sanchez Rocha
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague 12843, Czech Republic
| | - Robin Krystufek
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 12843, Czech Republic.,Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Cherepashuk
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague 12843, Czech Republic
| | - Volha Dzmitruk
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Vestec 25250, Czech Republic
| | - Tatsiana Charnavets
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Vestec 25250, Czech Republic
| | - Anneliese M Faustino
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Michal Lebl
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| | - Kosuke Fujishima
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 1528550, Japan.,Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa 2520882, Japan
| | - Stephen D Fried
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.,T. C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Klara Hlouchova
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague 12843, Czech Republic.,Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 16610, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Nogueira JA, Batista BC, Cooper MA, Steinbock O. Shape Evolution of Precipitate Membranes in Flow Systems. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:1471-1478. [PMID: 36745753 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c08433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Chemical gardens are macroscopic structures that form when a salt seed is submerged in an alkaline solution. Their thin precipitate membranes separate the reactant partners and slow down the approach toward equilibrium. During this stage, a gradual thickening occurs, which is driven by steep cross-membrane gradients and governed by selective ion transport. We study these growth dynamics in microfluidic channels for the case of Ni(OH)2 membranes. Fast flowing reactant solutions create thickening membranes of a nearly constant width along the channel, whereas slow flows produce wedge-shaped structures that fail to grow along their downstream end. The overall dynamics and shapes are caused by the competition of reactant consumption and transport replenishment. They are reproduced quantitatively by a two-variable reaction-diffusion-advection model which provides kinetic insights into the growth of precipitate membranes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica A Nogueira
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida32306-4390, United States
| | - Bruno C Batista
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida32306-4390, United States
| | - Maggie A Cooper
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida32306-4390, United States
| | - Oliver Steinbock
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida32306-4390, United States
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Zhang C, Chen Z, Zhang M, Jia S. KEGG_Extractor: An Effective Extraction Tool for KEGG Orthologs. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14020386. [PMID: 36833314 PMCID: PMC9956942 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The KEGG Orthology (KO) database is a widely used molecular function reference database which can be used to conduct functional annotation of most microorganisms. At present, there are many KEGG tools based on the KO entries for annotating functional orthologs. However, determining how to efficiently extract and sort the annotation results of KEGG still hinders the subsequent genome analysis. There is a lack of effective measures used to quickly extract and classify the gene sequences and species information of the KEGG annotations. Here, we present a supporting tool: KEGG_Extractor for species-specific genes extraction and classification, which can output the results through an iterative keyword matching algorithm. It can not only extract and classify the amino acid sequences, but also the nucleotide sequences, and it has proved to be fast and efficient for microbial analysis. Analysis of the ancient Wood Ljungdahl (WL) pathway through the KEGG_Extractor reveals that ~226 archaeal strains contained the WL pathway-related genes. Most of them were Methanococcus maripaludis, Methanosarcina mazei and members of the Methanobacterium, Thermococcus and Methanosarcina genus. Using the KEGG_Extractor, the ARWL database was constructed, which had a high accuracy and complement. This tool helps to link genes with the KEGG pathway and promote the reconstruction of molecular networks. Availability and implementation: KEGG_Extractor is freely available from the GitHub.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- Marine Sustainable Development Research Center, Third Institute of Oceanography, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Zhongwei Chen
- Nantong Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Nantong 226002, China
| | - Miming Zhang
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Shulei Jia
- Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Vecchi D, Santos G. The Multi-Causal Basis of Developmental Potential Construction. Acta Biotheor 2023; 71:6. [PMID: 36715846 PMCID: PMC9886630 DOI: 10.1007/s10441-023-09456-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
In this article we analyse the issue of what accounts for developmental potential, i.e., the possible phenotypes a developing organism can manifest during ontogeny. We shall argue in favour of two theses. First, although the developing organism is the unit of development, the complete causal basis for its potential to develop does neither lie entirely in itself as a whole nor in any specific part of itself (such as its genome). Thus, the extra-organismal environment must be counted as one of the three necessary, partial and complementary causal bases for development potential. Secondly, we shall defend a constructivist view of the developmental process. If the genome, the developing organism and the extra-organismal environment are to be counted as proper elements of the causal basis for an organism's developmental potential, the latter is not a given. Rather, it is the result of an interaction-based construction, a process sometimes generating genuine developmental novelty. We will thus argue for an interactionist multi-causal basis view of developmental potential construction. We contend that our view provides a biologically tenable and metaphysically coherent account of developmental dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Vecchi
- Centro de Filosofia das Ciências, Departamento de História e Filosofia das Ciências, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Gil Santos
- Centro de Filosofia das Ciências, Departamento de História e Filosofia das Ciências, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Andreani M, Montagnac G, Fellah C, Hao J, Vandier F, Daniel I, Pisapia C, Galipaud J, Lilley MD, Früh Green GL, Borensztajn S, Ménez B. The rocky road to organics needs drying. Nat Commun 2023; 14:347. [PMID: 36681679 PMCID: PMC9867705 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36038-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
How simple abiotic organic compounds evolve toward more complex molecules of potentially prebiotic importance remains a missing key to establish where life possibly emerged. The limited variety of abiotic organics, their low concentrations and the possible pathways identified so far in hydrothermal fluids have long hampered a unifying theory of a hydrothermal origin for the emergence of life on Earth. Here we present an alternative road to abiotic organic synthesis and diversification in hydrothermal environments, which involves magmatic degassing and water-consuming mineral reactions occurring in mineral microcavities. This combination gathers key gases (N2, H2, CH4, CH3SH) and various polyaromatic materials associated with nanodiamonds and mineral products of olivine hydration (serpentinization). This endogenous assemblage results from re-speciation and drying of cooling C-O-S-H-N fluids entrapped below 600 °C-2 kbars in rocks forming the present-day oceanic lithosphere. Serpentinization dries out the system toward macromolecular carbon condensation, while olivine pods keep ingredients trapped until they are remobilized for further reactions at shallower levels. Results greatly extend our understanding of the forms of abiotic organic carbon available in hydrothermal environments and open new pathways for organic synthesis encompassing the role of minerals and drying. Such processes are expected in other planetary bodies wherever olivine-rich magmatic systems get cooled down and hydrated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muriel Andreani
- Université de Lyon, Univ Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5276, ENS de Lyon, LGL-TPE, Villeurbanne Cedex, France.
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France.
| | - Gilles Montagnac
- Université de Lyon, Univ Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5276, ENS de Lyon, LGL-TPE, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Clémentine Fellah
- Université de Lyon, Univ Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5276, ENS de Lyon, LGL-TPE, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Jihua Hao
- Deep Space Exploration Laboratory/CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Flore Vandier
- Université de Lyon, Univ Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5276, ENS de Lyon, LGL-TPE, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Isabelle Daniel
- Université de Lyon, Univ Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5276, ENS de Lyon, LGL-TPE, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Céline Pisapia
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de physique du globe de Paris, CNRS UMR 7154, Paris, France
| | - Jules Galipaud
- Université de Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, LTDS, CNRS UMR 5513, 36, Ecully, France
- Université de Lyon INSA-Lyon, MATEIS, CNRS UMR 5510, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Marvin D Lilley
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Stéphane Borensztajn
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de physique du globe de Paris, CNRS UMR 7154, Paris, France
| | - Bénédicte Ménez
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de physique du globe de Paris, CNRS UMR 7154, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Patel VK, Busupalli B. Dissimilar chemobrionic growth in copper silicate chemical gardens in the absence or presence of light. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:768-771. [PMID: 36546324 DOI: 10.1039/d2cc06570c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The effect of the absence of light on chemical garden growth has been neglected although the gardens resemble hydrothermal vents that grow in dark in the sea/ocean. Herein, we report the differential growth of chemobrionic structures in copper silicate when identical reactions to yield copper silicate chemical gardens were carried out in the presence or absence of light. Irradiating the copper silicate chemical garden during its growth with different wavelengths of light independently resulted in morphologically divergent tubes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vipul Kirtikumar Patel
- Department of Chemistry, School of Energy Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382426, India.
| | - Balanagulu Busupalli
- Department of Chemistry, School of Energy Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382426, India.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Rauscher SA, Moran J. Hydrogen Drives Part of the Reverse Krebs Cycle under Metal or Meteorite Catalysis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202212932. [PMID: 36251920 PMCID: PMC10100321 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202212932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogen (H2 ) is a geological source of reducing electrons that is thought to have powered the metabolism of the last universal common ancestor to all extant life, and that is still metabolized by various modern organisms. It has been suggested that H2 drove a geochemical analogue of some or all of the reverse Krebs cycle at the emergence of the metabolic network, catalyzed by metals, but this has yet to be demonstrated experimentally. Herein, we show that three consecutive steps of the reverse Krebs cycle, converting oxaloacetate into succinate, can be driven without enzymes and in one-pot by H2 as the reducing agent under mild conditions compatible with biological chemistry. Low catalytic amounts of nickel (10-20 mol %) or platinum group metals (0.1-1 mol %) or even small amounts of ground meteorites were found to promote the reductive chemistry at temperatures between 5 and 60 °C and over a wide pH range, including pH 7. These results lend additional support to the hypothesis that geologically produced hydrogen and metal catalysts could have initiated early metabolic networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophia A Rauscher
- Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), CNRS UMR 7006, University of Strasbourg, 8 Allée Gaspard Monge, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Joseph Moran
- Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), CNRS UMR 7006, University of Strasbourg, 8 Allée Gaspard Monge, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), France
| |
Collapse
|