1
|
Wu X, Zhu J, He H, Konhauser KO, Li Y. Comments on "was hydrogen peroxide present before the arrival of oxygenic photosynthesis? The important role of iron(II) in the archean ocean". Redox Biol 2024; 71:103111. [PMID: 38521703 PMCID: PMC11313173 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2024.103111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent research has hypothesized that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) may have emerged from abiotic geochemical processes during the Archean eon (4.0-2.5 Ga), stimulating the evolution of an enzymatic antioxidant system in early life. This eventually led to the evolution of cyanobacteria, and in turn, the accumulation of oxygen on Earth. In the latest issue of Redox Biology, Koppenol and Sies (vol. 29, no. 103012, 2024) argued against this hypothesis and suggested instead that early organisms would not have been exposed to H2O2 due to its short half-life in the ferruginous oceans of the Archean. We find these arguments to be factually incomplete because they do not consider that freshwater or some coastal marine environments during the Archean could indeed have led to H2O2 generation and accumulation. In these environments, abiotic oxidants could have interacted with early life, thus steering its evolutionary course.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Jianxi Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
| | - Hongping He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou, 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kurt O Konhauser
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Yiliang Li
- Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen X, Tang Z, Li G, Zhang J, Xie F, Zheng L. Tracing sulfate sources and transformations of surface water using multiple isotopes in a mining-rural-urban agglomeration area. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 269:115805. [PMID: 38070416 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115805] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Rapid urbanization and mining activities are exacerbating sulfate (SO42-) pollution in surface water, and the information on its sources and transformations is crucial for understanding the sulphur cycle in mining areas. In this study, the SO42- in the surface water of Huaibei mining area were monitored and the main sources of pollution and biogeochemical processes were identified using stable isotopes (δD, δ18O-H2O, δ34S-SO42- and δ18O-SO42-) and water chemistry. The results demonstrated the SO42- content in the Huihe River and Linhuan subsidence water area (SWA) is higher than that in other rivers and SWAs, which exceeded the environmental quality standard of surface water. The SO42- content of different rivers and SWAs showed seasonal differences, and the dry season was higher than the wet season. In addition, the SO42- in Tuohe River and Suihe River is primarily caused by urban sewage and agriculture activities, while in Zhonghu and Shuoxihu SWA is mainly contributed by natural evaporate dissolution. Notably, the input of SO42- in the Huihe River and Linhuan SWA caused by mining activities cannot be disregarded. The aerobic environment and isotopic fractionation of surface water indicate that sulfide oxidation is not the major cause of SO42- formation. This work has revealed the multiple sources and transformation mechanisms of SO42-, and provided a reference for the development of comprehensive management and effective remediation strategies of SO42- contamination in surface water around mining areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xing Chen
- School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, China; Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Zhi Tang
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Guolian Li
- School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Jiamei Zhang
- School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Fazhi Xie
- School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Liugen Zheng
- Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mateos K, Chappell G, Klos A, Le B, Boden J, Stüeken E, Anderson R. The evolution and spread of sulfur cycling enzymes reflect the redox state of the early Earth. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade4847. [PMID: 37418533 PMCID: PMC10328410 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade4847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
The biogeochemical sulfur cycle plays a central role in fueling microbial metabolisms, regulating the Earth's redox state, and affecting climate. However, geochemical reconstructions of the ancient sulfur cycle are confounded by ambiguous isotopic signals. We use phylogenetic reconciliation to ascertain the timing of ancient sulfur cycling gene events across the tree of life. Our results suggest that metabolisms using sulfide oxidation emerged in the Archean, but those involving thiosulfate emerged only after the Great Oxidation Event. Our data reveal that observed geochemical signatures resulted not from the expansion of a single type of organism but were instead associated with genomic innovation across the biosphere. Moreover, our results provide the first indication of organic sulfur cycling from the Mid-Proterozoic onwards, with implications for climate regulation and atmospheric biosignatures. Overall, our results provide insights into how the biological sulfur cycle evolved in tandem with the redox state of the early Earth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Mateos
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA
- Ocean Sciences Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Garrett Chappell
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Aya Klos
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA
| | - Bryan Le
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA
| | - Joanne Boden
- University of St. Andrews, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Bute Building, Queen’s Terrace, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TS, UK
| | - Eva Stüeken
- University of St. Andrews, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Bute Building, Queen’s Terrace, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TS, UK
| | - Rika Anderson
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA
- NASA NExSS Virtual Planetary Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hao J, Liu W, Goff JL, Steadman JA, Large RR, Falkowski PG, Yee N. Anoxic photochemical weathering of pyrite on Archean continents. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn2226. [PMID: 35767603 PMCID: PMC9242442 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn2226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sulfur is an essential element of life that is assimilated by Earth's biosphere through the chemical breakdown of pyrite. On the early Earth, pyrite weathering by atmospheric oxygen was severely limited, and low marine sulfate concentrations persisted for much of the Archean eon. Here, we show an anoxic photochemical mechanism of pyrite weathering that could have provided substantial amounts of sulfate to the oceans as continents formed in the late Archean. Pyrite grains suspended in anoxic ferrous iron solutions produced millimolar sulfate concentrations when irradiated with ultraviolet light. The Fe2+(aq) was photooxidized, which, in turn, led to the chemical oxidation of pyritic sulfur. Additional experiments conducted with 2.68 Ga shale demonstrated that photochemically derived ferric iron oxidizes and dissolves sedimentary pyrite during chemical weathering. The results suggest that before the rise of atmospheric oxygen, oxidative pyrite weathering on Archean continents was controlled by the exposure of land to sunlight.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jihua Hao
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Winnie Liu
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Goff
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jeffrey A. Steadman
- CODES, Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | - Ross R. Large
- CODES, Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | - Paul G. Falkowski
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Nathan Yee
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
He H, Wu X, Xian H, Zhu J, Yang Y, Lv Y, Li Y, Konhauser KO. An abiotic source of Archean hydrogen peroxide and oxygen that pre-dates oxygenic photosynthesis. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6611. [PMID: 34785682 PMCID: PMC8595356 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26916-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis is a pivotal event in Earth's history because the O2 released fundamentally changed the planet's redox state and facilitated the emergence of multicellular life. An intriguing hypothesis proposes that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) once acted as the electron donor prior to the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis, but its abundance during the Archean would have been limited. Here, we report a previously unrecognized abiotic pathway for Archean H2O2 production that involves the abrasion of quartz surfaces and the subsequent generation of surface-bound radicals that can efficiently oxidize H2O to H2O2 and O2. We propose that in turbulent subaqueous environments, such as rivers, estuaries and deltas, this process could have provided a sufficient H2O2 source that led to the generation of biogenic O2, creating an evolutionary impetus for the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongping He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510640, Guangzhou, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, 510640, Guangzhou, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
| | - Xiao Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510640, Guangzhou, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, 510640, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Haiyang Xian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510640, Guangzhou, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, 510640, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianxi Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510640, Guangzhou, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, 510640, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yiping Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510640, Guangzhou, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, 510640, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Lv
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510640, Guangzhou, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, 510640, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yiliang Li
- Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, 999077, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Kurt O Konhauser
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|