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Matreux T, Le Vay K, Schmid A, Aikkila P, Belohlavek L, Çalışkanoğlu AZ, Salibi E, Kühnlein A, Springsklee C, Scheu B, Dingwell DB, Braun D, Mutschler H, Mast CB. Heat flows in rock cracks naturally optimize salt compositions for ribozymes. Nat Chem 2021; 13:1038-1045. [PMID: 34446924 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00772-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Catalytic nucleic acids, such as ribozymes, are central to a variety of origin-of-life scenarios. Typically, they require elevated magnesium concentrations for folding and activity, but their function can be inhibited by high concentrations of monovalent salts. Here we show that geologically plausible high-sodium, low-magnesium solutions derived from leaching basalt (rock and remelted glass) inhibit ribozyme catalysis, but that this activity can be rescued by selective magnesium up-concentration by heat flow across rock fissures. In contrast to up-concentration by dehydration or freezing, this system is so far from equilibrium that it can actively alter the Mg:Na salt ratio to an extent that enables key ribozyme activities, such as self-replication and RNA extension, in otherwise challenging solution conditions. The principle demonstrated here is applicable to a broad range of salt concentrations and compositions, and, as such, highly relevant to various origin-of-life scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Matreux
- Systems Biophysics, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - K Le Vay
- MPI für Biochemie, Biomimetische Systeme, Martinsried, Germany
| | - A Schmid
- Systems Biophysics, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - P Aikkila
- Systems Biophysics, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - L Belohlavek
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - A Z Çalışkanoğlu
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - E Salibi
- MPI für Biochemie, Biomimetische Systeme, Martinsried, Germany
| | - A Kühnlein
- Systems Biophysics, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - C Springsklee
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - B Scheu
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - D B Dingwell
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - D Braun
- Systems Biophysics, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - C B Mast
- Systems Biophysics, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany.
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Shellnutt JG, Dostal J. Haida Gwaii (British Columbia, Canada): a Phanerozoic analogue of a subduction-unrelated Archean greenstone belt. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3251. [PMID: 30824832 PMCID: PMC6397315 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39818-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the formation and evolution of Precambrian greenstone belts is hampered by gaps in the rock record and the uncertainty of the tectonic regime that was operating at the time. Thus identifying a modern analogue of a Precambrian greenstone belt can be problematic. In this paper we present geological, geochemical and petrological evidence outlining the case for Haida Gwaii (British Columbia, Canada) as a modern example of a greenstone belt. Haida Gwaii is comprised of two rift-related volcano-sedimentary sequences. The older (Early Triassic) Karmutsen volcanic sequence consists of subaqueous ultramafic-mafic volcanic rocks that are capped by marine carbonate and siliciclastic rocks. The younger (Paleogene) Masset bimodal volcanic sequence consists of tholeiitic and calc-alkaline basalt along with calc-alkaline silicic volcanic and intrusive rocks that are capped by epiclastic sandstones. The Karmutsen and Masset volcanic rocks have indistinguishable Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes demonstrating they were derived from a similar mantle source. Some of the Masset calc-alkaline rocks are compositionally similar to magnesian andesites (SiO2 = 56-64 wt%; Mg# = 0.50-0.64) that are typical of subduction-related Archean greenstone belts. We show that the calc-alkaline signature observed in the bimodal sequence of the Masset Formation is likely due to fractional crystallization of a tholeiitic parental magma under relatively oxidizing (ΔFMQ + 0.7) conditions indicating that a calc-alkaline signature is not prima facie evidence of a subduction setting. Given the geological and geochemical evidence, Haida Gwaii represents one of the best analogues of a modern subduction-unrelated Archean greenstone belt.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Gregory Shellnutt
- National Taiwan Normal University, Department of Earth Sciences, 88 Tingzhou Road Section 4, Taipei, 11677, Taiwan.
| | - Jaroslav Dostal
- Saint Mary's University, Department of Geology, 923 Robie Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 3C3, Canada
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