1
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Malacarne F, Grecchi S, Niamlaem M, Bonczak B, Salinas G, Arnaboldi S. Unconventional approaches for chiral resolution. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024; 416:3677-3685. [PMID: 38755462 PMCID: PMC11180637 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05329-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Chirality is a fundamental and ubiquitous property of nature involved in multiple fields of science. In particular, the possible resolution of the enantiomeric forms of a molecule is crucial in the pharmaceutical, food, and agrochemical industries. The search for efficient, broad-spectrum, and yet simple methods for obtaining enantiomerically pure substances is a current challenge. Enantioselective resolution methods rely on an asymmetric environment that allows the two antipodes of a chiral molecule to be distinguished. In addition to enantiomeric separation techniques, such as chromatography and electrophoresis, new promising approaches involving out-of-the-scheme synergistic effects between chiral selectors (CS) and external stimuli are emerging. This Trends article discusses different enantioselective mechanisms triggered by unconventional physicochemical stimuli for the design of avant-garde approaches that could offer novel perspectives in the field of chiral resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Grecchi
- Dip. Di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Gerardo Salinas
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, ISM, UMR 5255, 33607, Pessac, France
| | - Serena Arnaboldi
- Dip. Di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
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2
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Jia X, Zhang SJ, Zhou L, Szostak J. Constraints on the emergence of RNA through non-templated primer extension with mixtures of potentially prebiotic nucleotides. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:5451-5464. [PMID: 38726871 PMCID: PMC11162797 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae355] [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] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of RNA on the early Earth is likely to have been influenced by chemical and physical processes that acted to filter out various alternative nucleic acids. For example, UV photostability is thought to have favored the survival of the canonical nucleotides. In a recent proposal for the prebiotic synthesis of the building blocks of RNA, ribonucleotides share a common pathway with arabino- and threo-nucleotides. We have therefore investigated non-templated primer extension with 2-aminoimidazole-activated forms of these alternative nucleotides to see if the synthesis of the first oligonucleotides might have been biased in favor of RNA. We show that non-templated primer extension occurs predominantly through 5'-5' imidazolium-bridged dinucleotides, echoing the mechanism of template-directed primer extension. Ribo- and arabino-nucleotides exhibited comparable rates and yields of non-templated primer extension, whereas threo-nucleotides showed lower reactivity. Competition experiments confirmed the bias against the incorporation of threo-nucleotides. The incorporation of an arabino-nucleotide at the end of the primer acts as a chain terminator and blocks subsequent extension. These biases, coupled with potentially selective prebiotic synthesis, and the templated copying that is known to favour the incorporation of ribonucleotides, provide a plausible model for the effective exclusion of arabino- and threo-nucleotides from primordial oligonucleotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiwen Jia
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Stephanie J Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Lijun Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Penn Institute for RNA Innovation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jack W Szostak
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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3
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Węgrzyn E, Mejdrová I, Müller FM, Nainytė M, Escobar L, Carell T. RNA-Templated Peptide Bond Formation Promotes L-Homochirality. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202319235. [PMID: 38407532 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202319235] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The world in which we live is homochiral. The ribose units that form the backbone of DNA and RNA are all D-configured and the encoded amino acids that comprise the proteins of all living species feature an all-L-configuration at the α-carbon atoms. The homochirality of α-amino acids is essential for folding of the peptides into well-defined and functional 3D structures and the homochirality of D-ribose is crucial for helix formation and base-pairing. The question of why nature uses only encoded L-α-amino acids is not understood. Herein, we show that an RNA-peptide world, in which peptides grow on RNAs constructed from D-ribose, leads to the self-selection of homo-L-peptides, which provides a possible explanation for the homo-D-ribose and homo-L-amino acid combination seen in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Węgrzyn
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Chemical Epigenetics (ICE-M), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Ivana Mejdrová
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Chemical Epigenetics (ICE-M), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Felix M Müller
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Chemical Epigenetics (ICE-M), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Milda Nainytė
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Chemical Epigenetics (ICE-M), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Luis Escobar
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Chemical Epigenetics (ICE-M), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Carell
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Chemical Epigenetics (ICE-M), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
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4
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Urban A, De Feyter S. Making and Breaking Helical Open-Chain Oligopyrroles. Chempluschem 2024; 89:e202300708. [PMID: 38224308 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202300708] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Closed-chain oligopyrroles such as porphyrins or corroles have been well-established in literature and experience a steadily strong interest by several fields of science. However, their open-chain derivatives are comparatively underrepresented, despite their intriguing properties and promising applications. Here, we aim to review typical synthetic routes, as well as point towards several emergent properties, marking them as interesting candidates for various fields of study. The review focuses on two traditional methods (each starting from highly symmetric metalloporphyrins) and then expands its scope towards more recent variations before moving on to more exotic and recent highlights that have yet to be included into the canon. Key chemical reactivities (ring closure, substitution and fragmentation) are then followed by notable physicochemical properties, placing special emphasis on potential uses in molecular electronics and sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Urban
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 F, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Steven De Feyter
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 F, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
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5
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Cohen ZR, Todd ZR, Maibaum L, Catling DC, Black RA. Stabilization of Prebiotic Vesicles by Peptides Depends on Sequence and Chirality: A Mechanism for Selection of Protocell-Associated Peptides. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:8971-8980. [PMID: 38629792 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Cells require oligonucleotides and polypeptides with specific, homochiral sequences to perform essential functions, but it is unclear how such oligomers were selected from random sequences at the origin of life. Cells were probably preceded by simple compartments such as fatty acid vesicles, and oligomers that increased the stability, growth, or division of vesicles could have thereby increased in frequency. We therefore tested whether prebiotic peptides alter the stability or growth of vesicles composed of a prebiotic fatty acid. We find that three of 15 dipeptides tested reduce salt-induced flocculation of vesicles. All three contain leucine, and increasing their length increases the efficacy. Also, leucine-leucine but not alanine-alanine increases the size of vesicles grown by multiple additions of micelles. In a molecular simulation, leucine-leucine docks to the membrane, with the side chains inserted into the hydrophobic core of the bilayer, while alanine-alanine fails to dock. Finally, the heterochiral forms of leucine-leucine, at a high concentration, rapidly shrink the vesicles and make them leakier and less stable to high pH than the homochiral forms do. Thus, prebiotic peptide-membrane interactions influence the flocculation, growth, size, leakiness, and pH stability of prebiotic vesicles, with differential effects due to sequence, length, and chirality. These differences could lead to a population of vesicles enriched for peptides with beneficial sequence and chirality, beginning selection for the functional oligomers that underpin life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R Cohen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Zoe R Todd
- Department of Earth and Space Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Lutz Maibaum
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - David C Catling
- Department of Earth and Space Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Roy A Black
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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6
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Bloom BP, Paltiel Y, Naaman R, Waldeck DH. Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity. Chem Rev 2024; 124:1950-1991. [PMID: 38364021 PMCID: PMC10906005 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Since the initial landmark study on the chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect in 1999, considerable experimental and theoretical efforts have been made to understand the physical underpinnings and mechanistic features of this interesting phenomenon. As first formulated, the CISS effect refers to the innate ability of chiral materials to act as spin filters for electron transport; however, more recent experiments demonstrate that displacement currents arising from charge polarization of chiral molecules lead to spin polarization without the need for net charge flow. With its identification of a fundamental connection between chiral symmetry and electron spin in molecules and materials, CISS promises profound and ubiquitous implications for existing technologies and new approaches to answering age old questions, such as the homochiral nature of life. This review begins with a discussion of the different methods for measuring CISS and then provides a comprehensive overview of molecules and materials known to exhibit CISS-based phenomena before proceeding to identify structure-property relations and to delineate the leading theoretical models for the CISS effect. Next, it identifies some implications of CISS in physics, chemistry, and biology. The discussion ends with a critical assessment of the CISS field and some comments on its future outlook.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian P. Bloom
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Yossi Paltiel
- Applied
Physics Department and Center for Nano-Science and Nano-Technology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Ron Naaman
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann
Institute, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - David H. Waldeck
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
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7
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Deck LT, Hosseinalipour MS, Mazzotti M. Exact and Ubiquitous Condition for Solid-State Deracemization in Vitro and in Nature. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:3872-3882. [PMID: 38306469 PMCID: PMC10870780 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c11332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Solid-state deracemization is the amplification of an enantiomeric excess in suspensions of conglomerate-forming chiral compounds. Although numerous chemical and biochemical compounds deracemize, its governing mechanism has remained elusive. We introduce a novel formulation of the classical population-based model of deracemization through temperature cycles to prove that suspensions deracemize whenever a simple and ubiquitous condition is met: crystal dissolution must be faster than crystal growth. Such asymmetry is a known principle of crystallization, hence explaining the generality of deracemization. Through both experiments and a theoretical analysis, we demonstrate that this condition applies even for very small temperature cycles and for random temperature fluctuations. These findings establish solid-state deracemization as an attractive route to the manufacture of enantiopure products and as a plausible pathway toward the emergence of homochirality in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leif-Thore Deck
- Institute of Energy and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | | | - Marco Mazzotti
- Institute of Energy and Process Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
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8
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Yu J, Darú A, Deng M, Blackmond DG. Prebiotic access to enantioenriched amino acids via peptide-mediated transamination reactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315447121. [PMID: 38315856 PMCID: PMC10873602 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315447121] [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: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The kinetic resolution of racemic amino acids mediated by dipeptides and pyridoxal provides a prebiotically plausible route to enantioenriched proteinogenic amino acids. The enzymatic transamination cycles that are key to modern biochemical formation of enantiopure amino acids may have evolved from this half of the reversible reaction couple. Kinetic resolution of racemic precursors emerges as a general route to enantioenrichment under prebiotic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhan Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA92037
| | - Andrea Darú
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA92037
| | - Min Deng
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA92037
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9
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Deng M, Yu J, Blackmond DG. Symmetry breaking and chiral amplification in prebiotic ligation reactions. Nature 2024; 626:1019-1024. [PMID: 38418914 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07059-y] [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: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The single chirality of biological molecules is a signature of life. Yet, rationalizing how single chirality emerged remains a challenging goal1. Research has commonly focused on initial symmetry breaking and subsequent enantioenrichment of monomer building blocks-sugars and amino acids-that compose the genetic polymers RNA and DNA as well as peptides. If these building blocks are only partially enantioenriched, however, stalling of chain growth may occur, whimsically termed in the case of nucleic acids as "the problem of original syn"2. Here, in studying a new prebiotically plausible route to proteinogenic peptides3-5, we discovered that the reaction favours heterochiral ligation (that is, the ligation of L monomers with D monomers). Although this finding seems problematic for the prebiotic emergence of homochiral L-peptides, we demonstrate, paradoxically, that this heterochiral preference provides a mechanism for enantioenrichment in homochiral chains. Symmetry breaking, chiral amplification and chirality transfer processes occur for all reactants and products in multicomponent competitive reactions even when only one of the molecules in the complex mixture exhibits an imbalance in enantiomer concentrations (non-racemic). Solubility considerations rationalize further chemical purification and enhanced chiral amplification. Experimental data and kinetic modelling support this prebiotically plausible mechanism for the emergence of homochiral biological polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Deng
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jinhan Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
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10
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Konevtsova OV, Chalin DV, Rochal SB. Theory of density waves and organization of proteins in icosahedral virus capsids. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 26:569-580. [PMID: 38086647 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05384a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the physical principles underlying the structural organization of the proteinaceous viral shells is of major importance to advance antiviral strategies. Here, we develop a phenomenological thermodynamic theory, which considers structures of small and middle-size icosahedral viral shells as a result of condensation of a minimum number of protein density waves on a spherical surface. Each of these irreducible critical waves has icosahedral symmetry and can be expressed as a specific series of the spherical harmonics Ylm with the same wave number l. As we demonstrate, in small viral shells self-assembled from individual proteins, the maxima of one critical density wave determine the positions of proteins, while the spatial derivatives of the second one control the protein orientations on the shell surface. In contrast to the small shells, the middle-size ones are always formed from pentamers and hexamers (referred to as capsomers). Considering all such structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank, we unexpectedly found that the positions of capsomeres in these shells correspond to the maxima of interference patterns produced by no more than two critical waves with close wave numbers. This fact allows us to explain the observed limit size of the icosahedral shells assembled from pentamers and hexamers. We also construct nonequilibrium thermodynamic potentials describing the protein crystallization and discuss the reasons behind the specific handedness of the viral shells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Konevtsova
- Faculty of Physics, Southern Federal University, 5 Zorge str., 344090 Rostov-on-Don, Russia.
| | - Dmitrii V Chalin
- Faculty of Physics, Southern Federal University, 5 Zorge str., 344090 Rostov-on-Don, Russia.
| | - Sergei B Rochal
- Faculty of Physics, Southern Federal University, 5 Zorge str., 344090 Rostov-on-Don, Russia.
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11
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Yu SH. Creating chiral superstructures in magnetic quadrupole fields. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad221. [PMID: 37818118 PMCID: PMC10561702 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Hong Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, China
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12
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Ozturk SF, Bhowmick DK, Kapon Y, Sang Y, Kumar A, Paltiel Y, Naaman R, Sasselov DD. Chirality-induced avalanche magnetization of magnetite by an RNA precursor. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6351. [PMID: 37816811 PMCID: PMC10564924 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42130-8] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Homochirality is a hallmark of life on Earth. To achieve and maintain homochirality within a prebiotic network, the presence of an environmental factor acting as a chiral agent and providing a persistent chiral bias to prebiotic chemistry is highly advantageous. Magnetized surfaces are prebiotically plausible chiral agents due to the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect, and they were utilized to attain homochiral ribose-aminooxazoline (RAO), an RNA precursor. However, natural magnetic minerals are typically weakly magnetized, necessitating mechanisms to enhance their magnetization for their use as effective chiral agents. Here, we report the magnetization of magnetic surfaces by crystallizing enantiopure RAO, whereby chiral molecules induce a uniform surface magnetization due to the CISS effect, which spreads across the magnetic surface akin to an avalanche. Chirality-induced avalanche magnetization enables a feedback between chiral molecules and magnetic surfaces, which can amplify a weak magnetization and allow for highly efficient spin-selective processes on magnetic minerals.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Furkan Ozturk
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Deb Kumar Bhowmick
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Yael Kapon
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Yutao Sang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Anil Kumar
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Yossi Paltiel
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Ron Naaman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
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Ozturk SF, Sasselov DD, Sutherland JD. The central dogma of biological homochirality: How does chiral information propagate in a prebiotic network? J Chem Phys 2023; 159:061102. [PMID: 37551802 PMCID: PMC7615580 DOI: 10.1063/5.0156527] [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: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological systems are homochiral, raising the question of how a racemic mixture of prebiotically synthesized biomolecules could attain a homochiral state at the network level. Based on our recent results, we aim to address a related question of how chiral information might have flowed in a prebiotic network. Utilizing the crystallization properties of the central ribonucleic acid (RNA) precursor known as ribose-aminooxazoline (RAO), we showed that its homochiral crystals can be obtained from its fully racemic solution on a magnetic mineral surface due to the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect [Ozturk et al., arXiv:2303.01394 (2023)]. Moreover, we uncovered a mechanism facilitated by the CISS effect through which chiral molecules, such as RAO, can uniformly magnetize such surfaces in a variety of planetary environments in a persistent manner [Ozturk et al., arXiv:2304.09095 (2023)]. All this is very tantalizing because recent experiments with tRNA analogs demonstrate high stereoselectivity in the attachment of L-amino acids to D-ribonucleotides, enabling the transfer of homochirality from RNA to peptides [Wu et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 143, 11836 (2021)]. Therefore, the biological homochirality problem may be reduced to ensuring that a single common RNA precursor (e.g., RAO) can be made homochiral. The emergence of homochirality at RAO then allows for the chiral information to propagate through RNA, then to peptides, and ultimately through enantioselective catalysis to metabolites. This directionality of the chiral information flow parallels that of the central dogma of molecular biology-the unidirectional transfer of genetic information from nucleic acids to proteins [F. H. Crick, in Symposia of the Society for Experimental Biology, Number XII: The Biological Replication of Macromolecules, edited by F. K. Sanders (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1958), pp. 138-163; and F. Crick, Nature 227, 561 (1970)].
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Furkan Ozturk
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Dimitar D. Sasselov
- Department of Astronomy, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
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