1
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Saha R, Choi JA, Chen IA. Protocell Effects on RNA Folding, Function, and Evolution. Acc Chem Res 2024. [PMID: 39005057 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusCreating a living system from nonliving matter is a great challenge in chemistry and biophysics. The early history of life can provide inspiration from the idea of the prebiotic "RNA World" established by ribozymes, in which all genetic and catalytic activities were executed by RNA. Such a system could be much simpler than the interdependent central dogma characterizing life today. At the same time, cooperative systems require a mechanism such as cellular compartmentalization in order to survive and evolve. Minimal cells might therefore consist of simple vesicles enclosing a prebiotic RNA metabolism.The internal volume of a vesicle is a distinctive environment due to its closed boundary, which alters diffusion and available volume for macromolecules and changes effective molecular concentrations, among other considerations. These physical effects are mechanistically distinct from chemical interactions, such as electrostatic repulsion, that might also occur between the membrane boundary and encapsulated contents. Both indirect and direct interactions between the membrane and RNA can give rise to nonintuitive, "emergent" behaviors in the model protocell system. We have been examining how encapsulation inside membrane vesicles would affect the folding and activity of entrapped RNA.Using biophysical techniques such as FRET, we characterized ribozyme folding and activity inside vesicles. Encapsulation inside model protocells generally promoted RNA folding, consistent with an excluded volume effect, independently of chemical interactions. This energetic stabilization translated into increased ribozyme activity in two different systems that were studied (hairpin ribozyme and self-aminoacylating RNAs). A particularly intriguing finding was that encapsulation could rescue the activity of mutant ribozymes, suggesting that encapsulation could affect not only folding and activity but also evolution. To study this further, we developed a high-throughput sequencing assay to measure the aminoacylation kinetics of many thousands of ribozyme variants in parallel. The results revealed an unexpected tendency for encapsulation to improve the better ribozyme variants more than worse variants. During evolution, this effect would create a tilted playing field, so to speak, that would give additional fitness gains to already-high-activity variants. According to Fisher's Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection, the increased variance in fitness should manifest as faster evolutionary adaptation. This prediction was borne out experimentally during in vitro evolution, where we observed that the initially diverse ribozyme population converged more quickly to the most active sequences when they were encapsulated inside vesicles.The studies in this Account have expanded our understanding of emergent protocell behavior, by showing how simply entrapping an RNA inside a vesicle, which could occur spontaneously during vesicle formation, might profoundly affect the evolutionary landscape of the RNA. Because of the exponential dynamics of replication and selection, even small changes to activity and function could lead to major evolutionary consequences. By closely studying the details of minimal yet surprisingly complex protocells, we might one day trace a pathway from encapsulated RNA to a living system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranajay Saha
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1592, United States
| | - Jongseok A Choi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1592, United States
| | - Irene A Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1592, United States
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2
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Mori M, Sugai H, Sato K, Okada A, Matsuo T, Kinbara K. A bioinspired bifunctional catalyst: an amphiphilic organometallic catalyst for ring-closing metathesis forming liquid droplets in aqueous media. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024. [PMID: 38976255 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc01117a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Inspired by phase-separated biopolymers with enzymatic activity, we developed an amphiphilic catalyst consisting of alternating hydrophilic oligo(ethylene glycol) and hydrophobic aromatic units bearing a Hoveyda-Grubbs catalyst center (MAHGII). MAHGII served as both a droplet-forming scaffold and a catalyst for ring-closing metathesis reactions, providing a new biomimetic system that promotes organic reactions in an aqueous environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Mori
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan.
| | - Hiroka Sugai
- Research Center for Autonomous Systems Materialogy (ASMat), Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
| | - Kohei Sato
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan.
| | - Asuki Okada
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama-cho, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan
| | - Takashi Matsuo
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama-cho, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan
| | - Kazushi Kinbara
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan.
- Research Center for Autonomous Systems Materialogy (ASMat), Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
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3
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Raja Venkatesh A, Le KH, Weld DM, Brandman O. Diffusive lensing as a mechanism of intracellular transport and compartmentalization. eLife 2024; 12:RP89794. [PMID: 38896469 PMCID: PMC11186627 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89794] [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] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
While inhomogeneous diffusivity has been identified as a ubiquitous feature of the cellular interior, its implications for particle mobility and concentration at different length scales remain largely unexplored. In this work, we use agent-based simulations of diffusion to investigate how heterogeneous diffusivity affects the movement and concentration of diffusing particles. We propose that a nonequilibrium mode of membrane-less compartmentalization arising from the convergence of diffusive trajectories into low-diffusive sinks, which we call 'diffusive lensing,' is relevant for living systems. Our work highlights the phenomenon of diffusive lensing as a potentially key driver of mesoscale dynamics in the cytoplasm, with possible far-reaching implications for biochemical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achuthan Raja Venkatesh
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) MohaliMohaliIndia
| | - Kathy H Le
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - David M Weld
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - Onn Brandman
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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4
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O'Connor PBF. The Evolutionary Transition of the RNA World to Obcells to Cellular-Based Life. J Mol Evol 2024; 92:278-285. [PMID: 38683368 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-024-10171-2] [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: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
The obcell hypothesis is a proposed route for the RNA world to develop into a primitive cellular one. It posits that this transition began with the emergence of the proto-ribosome which enabled RNA to colonise the external surface of lipids by the synthesis of amphipathic peptidyl-RNAs. The obcell hypothesis also posits that the emergence of a predation-based ecosystem provided a selection mechanism for continued sophistication amongst early life forms. Here, I argue for this hypothesis owing to its significant explanatory power; it offers a rationale why a ribosome which initially was capable only of producing short non-coded peptides was advantageous and it forgoes issues related to maintaining a replicating RNA inside a lipid enclosure. I develop this model by proposing that the evolutionary selection for improved membrane anchors resulted in the emergence of primitive membrane pores which enabled obcells to gradually evolve into a cellular morphology. Moreover, I introduce a model of obcell production which advances that tRNAs developed from primers of the RNA world.
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5
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Elizebath D, Vedhanarayanan B, Dhiman A, Mishra RK, Ramachandran CN, Lin TW, Praveen VK. Spontaneous Curvature Induction in an Artificial Bilayer Membrane. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202403900. [PMID: 38459961 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202403900] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Maintaining lipid asymmetry across membrane leaflets is critical for functions like vesicular traffic and organelle homeostasis. However, a lack of molecular-level understanding of the mechanisms underlying membrane fission and fusion processes in synthetic systems precludes their development as artificial analogs. Here, we report asymmetry induction of a bilayer membrane formed by an extended π-conjugated molecule with oxyalkylene side chains bearing terminal tertiary amine moieties (BA1) in water. Autogenous protonation of the tertiary amines in the periphery of the bilayer by water induces anisotropic curvature, resulting in membrane fission to form vesicles and can be monitored using time-dependent spectroscopy and microscopy. Interestingly, upon loss of the induced asymmetry by extensive protonation using an organic acid restored bilayer membrane. The mechanism leading to the compositional asymmetry in the leaflet and curvature induction in the membrane is validated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Studies extended to control molecules having changes in hydrophilic (BA2) and hydrophobic (BA3) segments provide insight into the delicate nature of molecular scale interactions in the dynamic transformation of supramolecular structures. The synergic effect of hydrophobic interaction and the hydrated state of BA1 aggregates provide dynamicity and unusual stability. Our study unveils mechanistic insight into the dynamic transformation of bilayer membranes into vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drishya Elizebath
- Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695019, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Balaraman Vedhanarayanan
- Department of Chemistry, Tunghai University, No. 1727, Section 4, Taiwan Boulevard, Xitun District, Taichung City, 40704, Taiwan
| | - Angat Dhiman
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, 247667, India
| | - Rakesh K Mishra
- Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695019, India
- Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Uttarakhand (NITUK), Srinagar (Garhwal), Uttarakhand, 246174, India
| | - C N Ramachandran
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, 247667, India
| | - Tsung-Wu Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Tunghai University, No. 1727, Section 4, Taiwan Boulevard, Xitun District, Taichung City, 40704, Taiwan
| | - Vakayil K Praveen
- Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695019, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
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6
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Gehlbach EM, Robinson AO, Engelhart AE, Adamala KP. Sequential gentle hydration increases encapsulation in model protocells. DISCOVER LIFE 2024; 54:2. [PMID: 38765272 PMCID: PMC11099956 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-024-09645-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Small, spherical vesicles are a widely used chassis for the formation of model protocells and investigating the beginning of compartmentalized evolution. Various methods exist for their preparation, with one of the most common approaches being gentle hydration, where thin layers of lipids are hydrated with aqueous solutions and gently agitated to form vesicles. An important benefit to gentle hydration is that the method produces vesicles without introducing any organic contaminants, such as mineral oil, into the lipid bilayer. However, compared to other methods of liposome formation, gentle hydration is much less efficient at encapsulating aqueous cargo. Improving the encapsulation efficiency of gentle hydration would be of broad use for medicine, biotechnology, and protocell research. Here, we describe a method of sequentially hydrating lipid thin films to increase encapsulation efficiency. We demonstrate that sequential gentle hydration significantly improves encapsulation of water-soluble cargo compared to the traditional method, and that this improved efficiency is dependent on buffer composition. Similarly, we also demonstrate how this method can be used to increase concentrations of oleic acid, a fatty acid commonly used in origins of life research, to improve the formation of vesicles in aqueous buffer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M. Gehlbach
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Abbey O. Robinson
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Aaron E. Engelhart
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
| | - Katarzyna P. Adamala
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
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7
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Rieu T, Osypenko A, Lehn JM. Triple Adaptation of Constitutional Dynamic Networks of Imines in Response to Micellar Agents: Internal Uptake-Interfacial Localization-Shape Transition. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:9096-9111. [PMID: 38526415 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c14200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the behavior of complex chemical reaction networks and how environmental conditions can modulate their organization as well as the associated outcomes may take advantage of the design of related artificial systems. Microenvironments with defined boundaries are of particular interest for their unique properties and prebiotic significance. Dynamic covalent libraries (DCvLs) and their underlying constitutional dynamic networks (CDNs) have been shown to be appropriate for studying adaptation to several processes, including compartmentalization. However, microcompartments (e.g., micelles) provide specific environments for the selective protection from interfering reactions such as hydrolysis and an enhanced chemical promiscuity due to the interface, governing different processes of network modulation. Different interactions between the micelles and the library constituents lead to dynamic sensing, resulting in different expressions of the network through pattern generation. The constituents integrated into the micelles are protected from hydrolysis and hence preferentially expressed in the network composition at the cost of constitutionally linked members. In the present work, micellar integration was observed for two processes: internal uptake based on hydrophobic forces and interfacial localization relying on attractive electrostatic interactions. The latter drives a complex triple adaptation of the network with feedback on the shape of the self-assembled entity. Our results demonstrate how microcompartments can enforce the expression of constituents of CDNs by reducing the hydrolysis of uptaken members, unravelling processes that govern the response of reactions networks. Such studies open the way toward using DCvLs and CDNs to understand the emergence of complexity within reaction networks by their interactions with microenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanguy Rieu
- Laboratoire de Chimie Supramoléculaire, Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), Université de Strasbourg, 8 allée Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Artem Osypenko
- Laboratoire de Chimie Supramoléculaire, Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), Université de Strasbourg, 8 allée Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Marie Lehn
- Laboratoire de Chimie Supramoléculaire, Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), Université de Strasbourg, 8 allée Gaspard Monge, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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8
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Abeysinghe AADT, Young EJ, Rowland AT, Dunshee LC, Urandur S, Sullivan MO, Kerfeld CA, Keating CD. Interfacial Assembly of Bacterial Microcompartment Shell Proteins in Aqueous Multiphase Systems. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2308390. [PMID: 38037673 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202308390] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Compartments are a fundamental feature of life, based variously on lipid membranes, protein shells, or biopolymer phase separation. Here, this combines self-assembling bacterial microcompartment (BMC) shell proteins and liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) to develop new forms of compartmentalization. It is found that BMC shell proteins assemble at the liquid-liquid interfaces between either 1) the dextran-rich droplets and PEG-rich continuous phase of a poly(ethyleneglycol)(PEG)/dextran aqueous two-phase system, or 2) the polypeptide-rich coacervate droplets and continuous dilute phase of a polylysine/polyaspartate complex coacervate system. Interfacial protein assemblies in the coacervate system are sensitive to the ratio of cationic to anionic polypeptides, consistent with electrostatically-driven assembly. In both systems, interfacial protein assembly competes with aggregation, with protein concentration and polycation availability impacting coating. These two LLPS systems are then combined to form a three-phase system wherein coacervate droplets are contained within dextran-rich phase droplets. Interfacial localization of BMC hexameric shell proteins is tunable in a three-phase system by changing the polyelectrolyte charge ratio. The tens-of-micron scale BMC shell protein-coated droplets introduced here can accommodate bioactive cargo such as enzymes or RNA and represent a new synthetic cell strategy for organizing biomimetic functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric J Young
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Andrew T Rowland
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16801, USA
| | - Lucas C Dunshee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Sandeep Urandur
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Millicent O Sullivan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Christine D Keating
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16801, USA
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9
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Jiang R, Nilam M, Hennig A, Nau WM. Dual-Color Real-Time Chemosensing of a Compartmentalized Reaction Network Involving Enzyme-Induced Membrane Permeation of Peptides. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2306922. [PMID: 37703578 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202306922] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The design of synthetic systems with interrelated reaction sequences that model incipient biological complexity is limited by physicochemical tools that allow the direct monitoring of the individual processes in real-time. To mimic a simple digestion-resorption sequence, the authors have designed compartmentalized liposomal systems that incorporate extra- and intravesicular chemosensing ensembles. The extravesicular reporter pair consists of cucurbit[7]uril and methylene blue to monitor the enzymatic cleavage of short enkephalin-related peptides by thermolysin through a switch-off fluorescence response ("digestion"). Because the substrate is membrane-impermeable, but the dipeptide product is permeable, uptake of the latter into the pre-formed liposomes occurs as a follow-up process. The intravesicular chemosensing ensemble consists of i) cucurbit[8]uril, 2-anilinonaphthalene-6-sulfonic acid, and methyl viologen or ii) cucurbit[7]uril and berberine to monitor the uptake ("resorption") of the enzymatic products through the liposomal membranes by i) a switch-on or ii) a switch-off fluorescence response. The dyes are designed to allow selective optical excitation and read-out of the extra- and intravesicular dyes, which allow for dual-color chemosensing and, therefore, kinetic discrimination of the two sequential reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixue Jiang
- School of Science, Constructor University, Campus Ring 1, 28759, Bremen, Germany
| | - Mohamed Nilam
- Center for Cellular Nanoanalytics (CellNanOs), Department of Biology and Chemistry, Universität Osnabrück, Barbarastraße 7, 49069, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Andreas Hennig
- Center for Cellular Nanoanalytics (CellNanOs), Department of Biology and Chemistry, Universität Osnabrück, Barbarastraße 7, 49069, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Werner M Nau
- School of Science, Constructor University, Campus Ring 1, 28759, Bremen, Germany
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10
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Toparlak Ö, Sebastianelli L, Egas Ortuno V, Karki M, Xing Y, Szostak JW, Krishnamurthy R, Mansy SS. Cyclophospholipids Enable a Protocellular Life Cycle. ACS NANO 2023; 17:23772-23783. [PMID: 38038709 PMCID: PMC10722605 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c07706] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
There is currently no plausible path for the emergence of a self-replicating protocell, because prevalent formulations of model protocells are built with fatty acid vesicles that cannot withstand the concentrations of Mg2+ needed for the function and replication of nucleic acids. Although prebiotic chelates increase the survivability of fatty acid vesicles, the resulting model protocells are incapable of growth and division. Here, we show that protocells made of mixtures of cyclophospholipids and fatty acids can grow and divide in the presence of Mg2+-citrate. Importantly, these protocells retain encapsulated nucleic acids during growth and division, can acquire nucleotides from their surroundings, and are compatible with the nonenzymatic extension of an RNA oligonucleotide, chemistry needed for the replication of a primitive genome. Our work shows that prebiotically plausible mixtures of lipids form protocells that are active under the conditions necessary for the emergence of Darwinian evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ö.
Duhan Toparlak
- Department
of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Trentino, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Sebastianelli
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, 11227 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Veronica Egas Ortuno
- Department
of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Megha Karki
- Department
of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Yanfeng Xing
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jack W. Szostak
- Howard
Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy
- Department
of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Sheref S. Mansy
- Department
of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Povo, Trentino, Italy
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, 11227 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
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11
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Cvjetan N, Schuler LD, Ishikawa T, Walde P. Optimization and Enhancement of the Peroxidase-like Activity of Hemin in Aqueous Solutions of Sodium Dodecylsulfate. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:42878-42899. [PMID: 38024761 PMCID: PMC10652838 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c05915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Iron porphyrins play several important roles in present-day living systems and probably already existed in very early life forms. Hemin (= ferric protoporphyrin IX = ferric heme b), for example, is the prosthetic group at the active site of heme peroxidases, catalyzing the oxidation of a number of different types of reducing substrates after hemin is first oxidized by hydrogen peroxide as the oxidizing substrate of the enzyme. The active site of heme peroxidases consists of a hydrophobic pocket in which hemin is embedded noncovalently and kept in place through coordination of the iron atom to a proximal histidine side chain of the protein. It is this partially hydrophobic local environment of the enzyme which determines the efficiency with which the sequential reactions of the oxidizing and reducing substrates proceed at the active site. Free hemin, which has been separated from the protein moiety of heme peroxidases, is known to aggregate in an aqueous solution and exhibits low catalytic activity. Based on previous reports on the use of surfactant micelles to solubilize free hemin in a nonaggregated state, the peroxidase-like activity of hemin in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at concentrations below and above the critical concentration for SDS micelle formation (critical micellization concentration (cmc)) was systematically investigated. In most experiments, 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) was applied as a reducing substrate at pH = 7.2. The presence of SDS clearly had a positive effect on the reaction in terms of initial reaction rate and reaction yield, even at concentrations below the cmc. The highest activity correlated with the cmc value, as demonstrated for reactions at three different HEPES concentrations. The 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonate salt (HEPES) served as a pH buffer substance and also had an accelerating effect on the reaction. At the cmc, the addition of l-histidine (l-His) resulted in a further concentration-dependent increase in the peroxidase-like activity of hemin until a maximal effect was reached at an optimal l-His concentration, probably corresponding to an ideal mono-l-His ligation to hemin. Some of the results obtained can be understood on the basis of molecular dynamics simulations, which indicated the existence of intermolecular interactions between hemin and HEPES and between hemin and SDS. Preliminary experiments with SDS/dodecanol vesicles at pH = 7.2 showed that in the presence of the vesicles, hemin exhibited similar peroxidase-like activity as in the case of SDS micelles. This supports the hypothesis that micelle- or vesicle-associated ferric or ferrous iron porphyrins may have played a role as primitive catalysts in membranous prebiotic compartment systems before cellular life emerged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nemanja Cvjetan
- Department
of Materials, ETH-Zürich, Leopold-Ruzicka-Weg 4, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Takashi Ishikawa
- Department
of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute and Department of
Biology, ETH-Zürich, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Peter Walde
- Department
of Materials, ETH-Zürich, Leopold-Ruzicka-Weg 4, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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12
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Gehlbach EM, Robinson AO, Engelhart AE, Adamala KP. Sequential gentle hydration increases encapsulation in model protocells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.15.562404. [PMID: 37873423 PMCID: PMC10592796 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.15.562404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Small, spherical vesicles are a widely used chassis for the formation of model protocells and investigating the beginning of compartmentalized evolution. Various methods exist for their preparation, with one of the most common approaches being gentle hydration, where thin layers of lipids are hydrated with aqueous solutions and gently agitated to form vesicles. An important benefit to gentle hydration is that the method produces vesicles without introducing any organic contaminants, such as mineral oil, into the lipid bilayer. However, compared to other methods of liposome formation, gentle hydration is much less efficient at encapsulating aqueous cargo. Improving the encapsulation efficiency of gentle hydration would be of broad use for medicine, biotechnology, and protocell research. Here, we describe a method of sequentially hydrating lipid thin films to increase encapsulation efficiency. We demonstrate that sequential gentle hydration significantly improves encapsulation of water-soluble cargo compared to the traditional method, and that this improved efficiency is dependent on buffer composition. Similarly, we also demonstrate how this method can be used to increase concentrations of oleic acid, a fatty acid commonly used in origins of life research, to improve the formation of vesicles in aqueous buffer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M. Gehlbach
- University of Minnesota Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Abbey O. Robinson
- University of Minnesota Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Aaron E. Engelhart
- University of Minnesota Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Katarzyna P. Adamala
- University of Minnesota Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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13
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Namani T, Ruf RJ, Arsano I, Hu R, Wesdemiotis C, Sahai N. Novel Chimeric Amino Acid-Fatty Alcohol Ester Amphiphiles Self-Assemble into Stable Primitive Membranes in Diverse Geological Settings. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:327-343. [PMID: 36724479 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0056] [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: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Primitive cells are believed to have been self-assembled vesicular structures with minimal metabolic components, that were capable of self-maintenance and self-propagation in early Earth geological settings. The coevolution and self-assembly of biomolecules, such as amphiphiles, peptides, and nucleic acids, or their precursors, were essential for protocell emergence. Here, we present a novel class of amphiphiles-amino acid-fatty alcohol esters-that self-assemble into stable primitive membrane compartments under a wide range of geochemical conditions. Glycine n-octyl ester (GOE) and isoleucine n-octyl ester (IOE), the condensation ester products of glycine or isoleucine with octanol (OcOH), are expected to form at a mild temperature by wet-dry cycles. The GOE forms micelles in acidic aqueous solutions (pH 2-7) and vesicles at intermediate pH (pH 7.3-8.2). When mixed with cosurfactants (octanoic acid [OcA]; OcOH, or decanol) in different mole fractions [XCosurfactant = 0.1-0.5], the vesicle stability range expands significantly to span the extremely acidic to mildly alkaline (pH 2-8) and extremely alkaline (pH 10-11) regions. Only a small mole fraction of cosurfactant [XCosurfactant = 0.1] is needed to make stable vesicular structures. Notably, these GOE-based vesicles are also stable in the presence of high concentrations of divalent cations, even at low pHs and in simulated Hadean seawater composition (without sulfate). To better understand the self-assembly behavior of GOE-based systems, we devised complementary molecular dynamics computer simulations for a series of mixed GOE/OcA systems under simulated acidic pHs. The resulting calculated critical packing parameter values and self-assembly behavior were consistent with our experimental findings. The IOE is expected to show similar self-assembly behavior. Thus, amino acid-fatty alcohol esters, a novel chimeric amphiphile class composed of an amino acid head group and a fatty alcohol tail, may have aided in building protocell membranes, which were stable in a wide variety of geochemical circumstances and were conducive to supporting replication and self-maintenance. The present work contributes to our body of work supporting our hypothesis for synergism and coevolution of (proto)biomolecules on early Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trishool Namani
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Reghan J Ruf
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
- Integrated Biosciences Program, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Iskinder Arsano
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Ruibo Hu
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Chrys Wesdemiotis
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Nita Sahai
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
- Integrated Biosciences Program, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
- Department of Geosciences, and University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
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14
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Katke C, Pedrueza-Villalmanzo E, Spustova K, Ryskulov R, Kaplan CN, Gözen I. Colony-like Protocell Superstructures. ACS NANO 2023; 17:3368-3382. [PMID: 36795609 PMCID: PMC9979656 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c08093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We report the formation, growth, and dynamics of model protocell superstructures on solid surfaces, resembling single cell colonies. These structures, consisting of several layers of lipidic compartments enveloped in a dome-shaped outer lipid bilayer, emerged as a result of spontaneous shape transformation of lipid agglomerates deposited on thin film aluminum surfaces. Collective protocell structures were observed to be mechanically more stable compared to isolated spherical compartments. We show that the model colonies encapsulate DNA and accommodate nonenzymatic, strand displacement DNA reactions. The membrane envelope is able to disassemble and expose individual daughter protocells, which can migrate and attach via nanotethers to distant surface locations, while maintaining their encapsulated contents. Some colonies feature "exocompartments", which spontaneously extend out of the enveloping bilayer, internalize DNA, and merge again with the superstructure. A continuum elastohydrodynamic theory that we developed suggests that a plausible driving force behind subcompartment formation is attractive van der Waals (vdW) interactions between the membrane and surface. The balance between membrane bending and vdW interactions yields a critical length scale of 236 nm, above which the membrane invaginations can form subcompartments. The findings support our hypotheses that in extension of the "lipid world hypothesis", protocells may have existed in the form of colonies, potentially benefiting from the increased mechanical stability provided by a superstructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinmay Katke
- Department
of Physics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
- Center
for Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Esteban Pedrueza-Villalmanzo
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers
University of Technology, Göteborg SE-412 96, Sweden
- Department
of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Universitetsplatsen 1, Gothenburg 405 30, Sweden
| | - Karolina Spustova
- Centre
for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0318 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ruslan Ryskulov
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers
University of Technology, Göteborg SE-412 96, Sweden
| | - C. Nadir Kaplan
- Department
of Physics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
- Center
for Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Irep Gözen
- Centre
for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0318 Oslo, Norway
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15
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Cheng X, Huang J, Wang R, Xu Y, Wu N, Zhou J, Liu X, Wang H, Chen H. Inorganic-organic coprecipitation: spontaneous formation of enclosed and porous silica compartments with enriched biopolymers. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:2394-2401. [PMID: 36651126 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr05320a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We show that it is possible to spontaneously form all-enclosed compartments with microporous shells and enriched biopolymers via simple coprecipitation of silica and biopolymers. The reaction involves mild conditions and tolerates the random mixing of multiple reagents. Such a synthetic advance points to a new direction for resolving the chicken-egg dilemma of how the early life forms were hosted: without a physical barrier it would be difficult to maintain organized reactions, but without organized reactions, it would be difficult to create a cell membrane. In our synthesis, the divalent cation Ca2+ plays a critical role in the co-precipitation and in creating hollow compartments after simple dilution with water. The precursor of silica, poly(silicic acid), is a negatively charged, cross-linked polymer. It could be co-precipitated with negatively charged biopolymers such as DNA and proteins, whereas the remaining silica precursor forms a conformal and microporous shell on the surface of the initial precipitate. After etching, the biopolymers are retained inside the hollow compartments. The fact that multiple favorable conditions are easily brought together in enclosed compartments opens new possibilities in theorizing the host of early life forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejun Cheng
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Institute of Advanced Synthesis (IAS) and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
| | - Ruoxu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yue Xu
- Institute of Advanced Synthesis (IAS) and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
| | - Nan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, China.
| | - Jie Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, China.
| | - Xueyang Liu
- Institute of Advanced Synthesis (IAS) and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
| | - Hong Wang
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| | - Hongyu Chen
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
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16
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Nader S, Baccouche A, Connolly F, Abou-Ghanem M, Styler SA, Lewis JD, Pink D, Mansy SS. Model Atmospheric Aerosols Convert to Vesicles upon Entry into Aqueous Solution. ACS EARTH & SPACE CHEMISTRY 2023; 7:252-259. [PMID: 36704180 PMCID: PMC9869892 DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.2c00328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Aerosols are abundant on the Earth and likely played a role in prebiotic chemistry. Aerosol particles coagulate, divide, and sample a wide variety of conditions conducive to synthesis. While much work has centered on the generation of aerosols and their chemistry, little effort has been expended on their fate after settling. Here, using a laboratory model, we show that aqueous aerosols transform into cell-sized protocellular structures upon entry into aqueous solution containing lipid. Such processes provide for a heretofore unexplored pathway for the assembly of the building blocks of life from disparate geochemical regions within cell-like vesicles with a lipid bilayer in a manner that does not lead to dilution. The efficiency of aerosol to vesicle transformation is high with prebiotically plausible lipids, such as decanoic acid and decanol, that were previously shown to be capable of forming growing and dividing vesicles. The high transformation efficiency with 10-carbon lipids in landing solutions is consistent with the surface properties and dynamics of short-chain lipids. Similar processes may be operative today as fatty acids are common constituents of both contemporary aerosols and the sea. Our work highlights a new pathway that may have facilitated the emergence of the Earth's first cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge Nader
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2N4, Canada
| | - Alexandre Baccouche
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2N4, Canada
| | - Fiona Connolly
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2N4, Canada
| | - Maya Abou-Ghanem
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2N4, Canada
| | - Sarah A. Styler
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2N4, Canada
| | - John D. Lewis
- Department
of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2E1, Canada
| | - Desmond Pink
- Nanostics
Inc., Edmonton, AlbertaT5J 4P6, Canada
| | - Sheref S. Mansy
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2N4, Canada
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17
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Abstract
Ferric heme b (= ferric protoporphyrin IX = hemin) is an important prosthetic group of different types of enzymes, including the intensively investigated and widely applied horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In HRP, hemin is present in monomeric form in a hydrophobic pocket containing among other amino acid side chains the two imidazoyl groups of His170 and His42. Both amino acids are important for the peroxidase activity of HRP as an axial ligand of hemin (proximal His170) and as an acid/base catalyst (distal His42). A key feature of the peroxidase mechanism of HRP is the initial formation of compound I under heterolytic cleavage of added hydrogen peroxide as a terminal oxidant. Investigations of free hemin dispersed in aqueous solution showed that different types of hemin dimers can form, depending on the experimental conditions, possibly resulting in hemin crystallization. Although it has been recognized already in the 1970s that hemin aggregation can be prevented in aqueous solution by using micelle-forming amphiphiles, it remains a challenge to prepare hemin-containing micellar and vesicular systems with peroxidase-like activities. Such systems are of interest as cheap HRP-mimicking catalysts for analytical and synthetic applications. Some of the key concepts on which research in this fascinating and interdisciplinary field is based are summarized, along with major accomplishments and possible directions for further improvement. A systematic analysis of the physico-chemical properties of hemin in aqueous micellar solutions and vesicular dispersions must be combined with a reliable evaluation of its catalytic activity. Future studies should show how well the molecular complexity around hemin in HRP can be mimicked by using micelles or vesicles. Because of the importance of heme b in virtually all biological systems and the fact that porphyrins and hemes can be obtained under potentially prebiotic conditions, ideas exist about the possible role of heme-containing micellar and vesicular systems in prebiotic times.
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18
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Westall F, Brack A, Fairén AG, Schulte MD. Setting the geological scene for the origin of life and continuing open questions about its emergence. FRONTIERS IN ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCES 2023; 9:1095701. [PMID: 38274407 PMCID: PMC7615569 DOI: 10.3389/fspas.2022.1095701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The origin of life is one of the most fundamental questions of humanity. It has been and is still being addressed by a wide range of researchers from different fields, with different approaches and ideas as to how it came about. What is still incomplete is constrained information about the environment and the conditions reigning on the Hadean Earth, particularly on the inorganic ingredients available, and the stability and longevity of the various environments suggested as locations for the emergence of life, as well as on the kinetics and rates of the prebiotic steps leading to life. This contribution reviews our current understanding of the geological scene in which life originated on Earth, zooming in specifically on details regarding the environments and timescales available for prebiotic reactions, with the aim of providing experimenters with more specific constraints. Having set the scene, we evoke the still open questions about the origin of life: did life start organically or in mineralogical form? If organically, what was the origin of the organic constituents of life? What came first, metabolism or replication? What was the time-scale for the emergence of life? We conclude that the way forward for prebiotic chemistry is an approach merging geology and chemistry, i.e., far-from-equilibrium, wet-dry cycling (either subaerial exposure or dehydration through chelation to mineral surfaces) of organic reactions occurring repeatedly and iteratively at mineral surfaces under hydrothermal-like conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - André Brack
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Orléans, France
| | - Alberto G. Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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19
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Sarkar S, Dagar S, Lahiri K, Rajamani S. pH-Responsive Self-Assembled Compartments as Tuneable Model Protocellular Membrane Systems. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200371. [PMID: 35968882 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200371] [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: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Prebiotically plausible single-chain amphiphiles are enticing as model protocellular compartments to study the emergence of cellular life, owing to their self-assembling properties. Here, we investigated the self-assembly behaviour of mono-N-dodecyl phosphate (DDP) and mixed systems of DDP with 1-dodecanol (DDOH) at varying pH conditions. Membranes composed of DDP showed pH-responsive vesicle formation in a wide range of pH with a low critical bilayer concentration (CBC). Further, the addition of DDOH to DDP membrane system enhanced vesicle formation and stability in alkaline pH regimes. We also compared the high-temperature behaviour of DDP and DDP:DDOH membranes with conventional fatty acid membranes. Both, DDP and DDP:DDOH mixed membranes possess packing that is similar to decanoic acid membrane. However, the micropolarity of these systems is similar to phospholipid membranes. Finally, the pH-dependent modulation of different phospholipid membranes doped with DDP was also demonstrated to engineer tuneable membranes with potential translational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susovan Sarkar
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, 411008, India
| | - Shikha Dagar
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, 411008, India
| | - Kushan Lahiri
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, 411008, India
| | - Sudha Rajamani
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, 411008, India
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20
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Konstantinov KK, Konstantinova AF. Evolutionary Approach to Biological Homochirality. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2022; 52:205-232. [DOI: 10.1007/s11084-022-09632-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWe study a very simple linear evolutionary model based on distribution of protocells by total enantiomeric excess and without any mutual inhibition and show that such model can produce two species with values of total enantiomeric excess in each of the species approaching $$\pm 1$$
±
1
when there is a global $$L\leftrightarrow D$$
L
↔
D
symmetry. We then consider a scenario when there is a small external global asymmetry factor, like weak interaction, and show that only one of the species remains in such a case, and that is the one, which is more efficient in replication. We perform an estimate of the time necessary to reach homochirality in such a model and show that reasonable assumptions lead to an estimate of around 300 thousand years plus or minus a couple of orders of magnitude. Despite this seemingly large time to reach homochirality, the model is immune to racemization because amino acids in the model follow the lifespan of the protocells rather than the time needed to reach homochirality. We show that not needing mutual inhibition in such evolutionary model is due to the difference in the topology of the spaces in which considered model and many known models of biological homochirality operate. Bifurcation-based models operate in disconnected zero-dimensional space (the space is just two points with enantiomeric excess equal $$-1$$
-
1
and $$1$$
1
), whereas considered evolutionary model (in its continuous representation) operates in one-dimensional connected space, that is the whole interval between $$-1$$
-
1
and $$1$$
1
of total enantiomeric excess. We then proceed with the analysis of the replication process in non-homochiral environment and show that replication errors (the probability to attach an amino acid of wrong chirality) result in a smooth decrease of replication time when total enantiomeric excess of the replicated structure moves away from zero. We show that this decrease in replication time is sufficient for considered model to work.
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21
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Elucidating N-acyl amino acids as a model protoamphiphilic system. Commun Chem 2022; 5:147. [PMID: 36697941 PMCID: PMC9814278 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-022-00762-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Protoamphiphiles are prebiotically-plausible moieties that would have constituted protocell membranes on early Earth. Although prebiotic soup would have contained a diverse set of amphiphiles capable of generating protocell membranes, earlier studies were mainly limited to fatty acid-based systems. Herein, we characterize N-acyl amino acids (NAAs) as a model protoamphiphilic system. To the best of our knowledge, we report a new abiotic route in this study for their synthesis under wet-dry cycles from amino acids and monoglycerides via an ester-amide exchange process. We also demonstrate how N-oleoyl glycine (NOG, a representative NAA) results in vesicle formation over a broad pH range when blended with a monoglyceride or a fatty acid. Notably, NOG also acts as a substrate for peptide synthesis under wet-dry cycles, generating different lipopeptides. Overall, our study establishes NAAs as a promising protoamphiphilic system, and highlights their significance in generating robust and functional protocell membranes on primitive Earth.
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22
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Slootbeek AD, van Haren MHI, Smokers IBA, Spruijt E. Growth, replication and division enable evolution of coacervate protocells. Chem Commun (Camb) 2022; 58:11183-11200. [PMID: 36128910 PMCID: PMC9536485 DOI: 10.1039/d2cc03541c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Living and proliferating cells undergo repeated cycles of growth, replication and division, all orchestrated by complex molecular networks. How a minimal cell cycle emerged and helped primitive cells to evolve remains one of the biggest mysteries in modern science, and is an active area of research in chemistry. Protocells are cell-like compartments that recapitulate features of living cells and may be seen as the chemical ancestors of modern life. While compartmentalization is not strictly required for primitive, open-ended evolution of self-replicating systems, it gives such systems a clear identity by setting the boundaries and it can help them overcome three major obstacles of dilution, parasitism and compatibility. Compartmentalization is therefore widely considered to be a central hallmark of primitive life, and various types of protocells are actively investigated, with the ultimate goal of developing a protocell capable of autonomous proliferation by mimicking the well-known cell cycle of growth, replication and division. We and others have found that coacervates are promising protocell candidates in which chemical building blocks required for life are naturally concentrated, and chemical reactions can be selectively enhanced or suppressed. This feature article provides an overview of how growth, replication and division can be realized with coacervates as protocells and what the bottlenecks are. Considerations are given for designing chemical networks in coacervates that can lead to sustained growth, selective replication and controlled division, in a way that they are linked together like in the cell cycle. Ultimately, such a system may undergo evolution by natural selection of certain phenotypes, leading to adaptation and the gain of new functions, and we end with a brief discussion of the opportunities for coacervates to facilitate this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemiek D Slootbeek
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Merlijn H I van Haren
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Iris B A Smokers
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Evan Spruijt
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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23
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Imai M, Sakuma Y, Kurisu M, Walde P. From vesicles toward protocells and minimal cells. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:4823-4849. [PMID: 35722879 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01695d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to ordinary condensed matter systems, "living systems" are unique. They are based on molecular compartments that reproduce themselves through (i) an uptake of ingredients and energy from the environment, and (ii) spatially and timely coordinated internal chemical transformations. These occur on the basis of instructions encoded in information molecules (DNAs). Life originated on Earth about 4 billion years ago as self-organised systems of inorganic compounds and organic molecules including macromolecules (e.g. nucleic acids and proteins) and low molar mass amphiphiles (lipids). Before the first living systems emerged from non-living forms of matter, functional molecules and dynamic molecular assemblies must have been formed as prebiotic soft matter systems. These hypothetical cell-like compartment systems often are called "protocells". Other systems that are considered as bridging units between non-living and living systems are called "minimal cells". They are synthetic, autonomous and sustainable reproducing compartment systems, but their constituents are not limited to prebiotic substances. In this review, we focus on both membrane-bounded (vesicular) protocells and minimal cells, and provide a membrane physics background which helps to understand how morphological transformations of vesicle systems might have happened and how vesicle reproduction might be coupled with metabolic reactions and information molecules. This research, which bridges matter and life, is a great challenge in which soft matter physics, systems chemistry, and synthetic biology must take joined efforts to better understand how the transformation of protocells into living systems might have occurred at the origin of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Imai
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Yuka Sakuma
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Minoru Kurisu
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Peter Walde
- Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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24
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Ferreri C, Sansone A, Chatgilialoglu C, Ferreri R, Amézaga J, Burgos MC, Arranz S, Tueros I. Critical Review on Fatty Acid-Based Food and Nutraceuticals as Supporting Therapy in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116030. [PMID: 35682708 PMCID: PMC9181022 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Fatty acids have an important place in both biological and nutritional contexts and, from a clinical point of view, they have known consequences for diseases’ onset and development, including cancer. The use of fatty acid-based food and nutraceuticals to support cancer therapy is a multidisciplinary subject, involving molecular and clinical research. Knowledge regarding polyunsaturated fatty acids essentiality/oxidizability and the role of lipogenesis-desaturase pathways for cell growth, as well as oxidative reactivity in cancer cells, are discussed, since they can drive the choice of fatty acids using their multiple roles to support antitumoral drug activity. The central role of membrane fatty acid composition is highlighted for the application of membrane lipid therapy. As fatty acids are also known as biomarkers of cancer onset and progression, the personalization of the fatty acid-based therapy is also possible, taking into account other important factors such as formulation, bioavailability and the distribution of the supplementation. A holistic approach emerges combining nutra- and pharma-strategies in an appropriate manner, to develop further knowledge and applications in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Ferreri
- Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy; (A.S.); (C.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Anna Sansone
- Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy; (A.S.); (C.C.)
| | - Chryssostomos Chatgilialoglu
- Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy; (A.S.); (C.C.)
| | - Rosaria Ferreri
- Department of Integrated Medicine, Tuscany Reference Centre for Integrated Medicine in the Hospital Pathway, Pitigliano Hospital, ASL Sudest Toscana, 58017 Pitigliano, Italy;
| | - Javier Amézaga
- AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 609, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.A.); (M.C.B.); (S.A.); (I.T.)
| | - Mercedes Caro Burgos
- AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 609, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.A.); (M.C.B.); (S.A.); (I.T.)
| | - Sara Arranz
- AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 609, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.A.); (M.C.B.); (S.A.); (I.T.)
| | - Itziar Tueros
- AZTI, Food Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 609, 48160 Derio, Spain; (J.A.); (M.C.B.); (S.A.); (I.T.)
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25
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Gözen I, Köksal ES, Põldsalu I, Xue L, Spustova K, Pedrueza-Villalmanzo E, Ryskulov R, Meng F, Jesorka A. Protocells: Milestones and Recent Advances. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2106624. [PMID: 35322554 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202106624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The origin of life is still one of humankind's great mysteries. At the transition between nonliving and living matter, protocells, initially featureless aggregates of abiotic matter, gain the structure and functions necessary to fulfill the criteria of life. Research addressing protocells as a central element in this transition is diverse and increasingly interdisciplinary. The authors review current protocell concepts and research directions, address milestones, challenges and existing hypotheses in the context of conditions on the early Earth, and provide a concise overview of current protocell research methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irep Gözen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Elif Senem Köksal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Inga Põldsalu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Lin Xue
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Karolina Spustova
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Esteban Pedrueza-Villalmanzo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
- Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Universitetsplatsen 1, Gothenburg, 40530, Sweden
| | - Ruslan Ryskulov
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
| | - Fanda Meng
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
- School of Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250000, China
| | - Aldo Jesorka
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
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26
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Fiore M, Chieffo C, Lopez A, Fayolle D, Ruiz J, Soulère L, Oger P, Altamura E, Popowycz F, Buchet R. Synthesis of Phospholipids Under Plausible Prebiotic Conditions and Analogies with Phospholipid Biochemistry for Origin of Life Studies. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:598-627. [PMID: 35196460 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Phospholipids are essential components of biological membranes and are involved in cell signalization, in several enzymatic reactions, and in energy metabolism. In addition, phospholipids represent an evolutionary and non-negligible step in life emergence. Progress in the past decades has led to a deeper understanding of these unique hydrophobic molecules and their most pertinent functions in cell biology. Today, a growing interest in "prebiotic lipidomics" calls for a new assessment of these relevant biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Fiore
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Carolina Chieffo
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Augustin Lopez
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Dimitri Fayolle
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Johal Ruiz
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
- Institut National Des Sciences Appliquées, INSA Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Laurent Soulère
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
- Institut National Des Sciences Appliquées, INSA Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Philippe Oger
- Microbiologie, Adaptation et Pathogénie, UMR 5240, Université de Lyon, Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Emiliano Altamura
- Chemistry Department, Università degli studi di Bari "Aldo Moro," Bari, Italy
| | - Florence Popowycz
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
- Institut National Des Sciences Appliquées, INSA Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | - René Buchet
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Institut de Chimie et de Biochimie Moléculaires et Supramoléculaires, UMR 5246, CNRS, CPE, Villeurbanne, France
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27
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Cvjetan N, Kissner R, Bajuk-Bogdanović D, Ćirić-Marjanović G, Walde P. Hemin-catalyzed oxidative oligomerization of p-aminodiphenylamine (PADPA) in the presence of aqueous sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) micelles. RSC Adv 2022; 12:13154-13167. [PMID: 35520130 PMCID: PMC9063397 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra02198f] [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: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In a previous report on the enzymatic synthesis of the conductive emeraldine salt form of polyaniline (PANI-ES) in aqueous solution using PADPA (p-aminodiphenylamine) as monomer, horseradish peroxidase isoenzyme C (HRPC) was applied as a catalyst at pH = 4.3 with H2O2 as a terminal oxidant. In that work, anionic vesicles were added to the reaction mixture for (i) guiding the reaction to obtain poly(PADPA) products that resemble PANI-ES, and for (ii) preventing product precipitation (known as the “template effect”). In the work now presented, instead of native HRPC, only its prosthetic group ferric heme b (= hemin) was utilized as a catalyst, and micelles formed from SDBS (sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate) served as templates. For the elaborated optimal reaction conditions, complementary UV/vis/NIR, EPR, and Raman spectroscopy measurements clearly showed that the reaction mixture obtained after completion of the reaction contained PANI-ES-like products as dominating species, very similar to the products formed with HRPC as catalyst. HEPES (4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonate) was found to have a positive effect on the reaction rate as compared to dihydrogenphosphate. This work is the first on the template-assisted formation of PANI-ES type products under mild, environmentally friendly conditions using hemin as a cost-effective catalyst. Polyaniline emeraldine salt-type products were synthesized under mild, environmentally friendly conditions using hemin as a cost-effective catalyst, p-aminodiphenylamine (PADPA) as a monomer, and micelles formed from SDBS as templates.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Nemanja Cvjetan
- Department of Materials, Laboratory for Multifunctional Materials, ETH Zürich Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5 8093 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Kissner
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2 8093 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Danica Bajuk-Bogdanović
- Faculty of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade Studentski trg 12-16 11158 Belgrade Serbia
| | - Gordana Ćirić-Marjanović
- Faculty of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade Studentski trg 12-16 11158 Belgrade Serbia
| | - Peter Walde
- Department of Materials, Laboratory for Multifunctional Materials, ETH Zürich Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5 8093 Zürich Switzerland
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28
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Smokers IBA, van Haren MHI, Lu T, Spruijt E. Complex coacervation and compartmentalized conversion of prebiotically relevant metabolites. CHEMSYSTEMSCHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/syst.202200004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Iris B. A. Smokers
- Radboud University Nijmegen: Radboud Universiteit Institute for Molecules and Materials NETHERLANDS
| | | | - Tiemei Lu
- Radboud University Nijmegen: Radboud Universiteit Institute for Molecules and Materials NETHERLANDS
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29
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Lu Y, Allegri G, Huskens J. Vesicle-based artificial cells: materials, construction methods and applications. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2022; 9:892-907. [PMID: 34908080 PMCID: PMC8900604 DOI: 10.1039/d1mh01431e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The construction of artificial cells with specific cell-mimicking functions helps to explore complex biological processes and cell functions in natural cell systems and provides an insight into the origins of life. Bottom-up methods are widely used for engineering artificial cells based on vesicles by the in vitro assembly of biomimetic materials. In this review, the design of artificial cells with a specific function is discussed, by considering the selection of synthetic materials and construction technologies. First, a range of biomimetic materials for artificial cells is reviewed, including lipid, polymeric and hybrid lipid/copolymer materials. Biomaterials extracted from natural cells are also covered in this part. Then, the formation of microscale, giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) is reviewed based on different technologies, including gentle hydration, electro-formation, phase transfer and microfluidic methods. Subsequently, applications of artificial cells based on single vesicles or vesicle networks are addressed for mimicking cell behaviors and signaling processes. Microreactors for synthetic biology and cell-cell communication are highlighted here as well. Finally, current challenges and future trends for the development and applications of artificial cells are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Lu
- Molecular NanoFabrication Group, Department of Molecules & Materials, MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands.
| | - Giulia Allegri
- Molecular NanoFabrication Group, Department of Molecules & Materials, MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands.
| | - Jurriaan Huskens
- Molecular NanoFabrication Group, Department of Molecules & Materials, MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands.
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30
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Kumar G, Bari NK, Hazra JP, Sinha S. A major shell protein of 1,2-propanediol utilization microcompartment conserves the activity of its signature enzyme at higher temperatures. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202100694. [PMID: 35229962 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
A classic example of an all-protein natural nano-bioreactor, the bacterial microcompartment is a special kind of prokaryotic organelle that confine enzymes within a small volume enveloped by an outer protein shell. These protein compartments metabolize specific organic molecules, allowing bacteria to survive in restricted nutrient environments. In this work, 1,2-propanediol utilization microcompartment (PduMCP) is used as a model to study the effect of molecular confinement on the stability and catalytic activity of native enzymes in microcompartment. A combination of enzyme assays, spectroscopic techniques, binding assays, and computational analysis are used to evaluate the impact of the major shell protein PduBB' on the stability and activity of PduMCP's signature enzyme, diol dehydratase PduCDE. While free PduCDE shows ~45% reduction in its optimum activity (activity at 37 o C) when exposed to a temperature of 45°C, it retains similar activity up to 50°C when encapsulated within PduMCP. PduBB', a major component of the outer shell of PduMCP, preserves the catalytic efficiency of PduCDE under thermal stress and prevents temperature-induced unfolding and aggregation of PduCDE in vitro . We observe that while both PduB and PduB' interact with the enzyme with micromolar affinity, only the PduBB' combination influences its activity and stability, highlighting the importance of the unique PduBB' combination in the functioning of PduMCP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Kumar
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Chemical Biology Unit, Sector-81, Knowledge City, 140306, Mohali, INDIA
| | - Naimat Kalim Bari
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Chemical Biology Unit, Sector-81, Knowledge City, 140306, Mohali, INDIA
| | - Jagadish P Hazra
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Chemical Sciences, Sector-81, Knowledge City, 140306, Mohali, INDIA
| | - Sharmistha Sinha
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Chemical Biology Unit, Sector-81, Knowledge City, 140306, Mohali, INDIA
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31
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Sithamparam M, Satthiyasilan N, Chen C, Jia TZ, Chandru K. A material-based panspermia hypothesis: The potential of polymer gels and membraneless droplets. Biopolymers 2022; 113:e23486. [PMID: 35148427 DOI: 10.1002/bip.23486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The Panspermia hypothesis posits that either life's building blocks (molecular Panspermia) or life itself (organism-based Panspermia) may have been interplanetarily transferred to facilitate the origins of life (OoL) on a given planet, complementing several current OoL frameworks. Although many spaceflight experiments were performed in the past to test for potential terrestrial organisms as Panspermia seeds, it is uncertain whether such organisms will likely "seed" a new planet even if they are able to survive spaceflight. Therefore, rather than using organisms, using abiotic chemicals as seeds has been proposed as part of the molecular Panspermia hypothesis. Here, as an extension of this hypothesis, we introduce and review the plausibility of a polymeric material-based Panspermia seed (M-BPS) as a theoretical concept, where the type of polymeric material that can function as a M-BPS must be able to: (1) survive spaceflight and (2) "function", i.e., contingently drive chemical evolution toward some form of abiogenesis once arriving on a foreign planet. We use polymeric gels as a model example of a potential M-BPS. Polymeric gels that can be prebiotically synthesized on one planet (such as polyester gels) could be transferred to another planet via meteoritic transfer, where upon landing on a liquid bearing planet, can assemble into structures containing cellular-like characteristics and functionalities. Such features presupposed that these gels can assemble into compartments through phase separation to accomplish relevant functions such as encapsulation of primitive metabolic, genetic and catalytic materials, exchange of these materials, motion, coalescence, and evolution. All of these functions can result in the gels' capability to alter local geochemical niches on other planets, thereby allowing chemical evolution to lead to OoL events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahendran Sithamparam
- Space Science Center (ANGKASA), Institute of Climate Change, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nirmell Satthiyasilan
- Space Science Center (ANGKASA), Institute of Climate Change, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Chen Chen
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tony Z Jia
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.,Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kuhan Chandru
- Space Science Center (ANGKASA), Institute of Climate Change, National University of Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
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32
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Köksal ES, Põldsalu I, Friis H, Mojzsis SJ, Bizzarro M, Gözen I. Spontaneous Formation of Prebiotic Compartment Colonies on Hadean Earth and Pre‐Noachian Mars**. CHEMSYSTEMSCHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/syst.202100040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elif S. Köksal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway Faculty of Medicine University of Oslo 0318 Oslo Norway
| | - Inga Põldsalu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway Faculty of Medicine University of Oslo 0318 Oslo Norway
| | - Henrik Friis
- Natural History Museum University of Oslo Postboks 1172 Blindern 0318 Oslo Norway
| | - Stephen J. Mojzsis
- Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences 15–17 Konkoly Thege Miklós Road Budapest 1121 Hungary
- Department of Lithospheric Research University of Vienna UZA 2, Althanstraße 14 1090 Vienna Austria
- Department of Geological Sciences University of Colorado UCB 399, 2200 Colorado Avenue Boulder CO 80309-0399 USA
| | - Martin Bizzarro
- Centre for Star and Planet Formation GLOBE Institute University of Copenhagen 1350 Copenhagen K Denmark
| | - Irep Gözen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway Faculty of Medicine University of Oslo 0318 Oslo Norway
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences University of Oslo 0315 Oslo Norway
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33
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Abstract
As the remit of chemistry expands beyond molecules to systems, new synthetic targets appear on the horizon. Among these, life represents perhaps the ultimate synthetic challenge. Building on an increasingly detailed understanding of the inner workings of living systems and advances in organic synthesis and supramolecular chemistry, the de novo synthesis of life (i.e., the construction of a new form of life based on completely synthetic components) is coming within reach. This Account presents our first steps in the journey toward this long-term goal. The synthesis of life requires the functional integration of different subsystems that harbor the different characteristics that are deemed essential to life. The most important of these are self-replication, metabolism, and compartmentalization. Integrating these features into a single system, maintaining this system out of equilibrium, and allowing it to undergo Darwinian evolution should ideally result in the emergence of life. Our journey toward de novo life started with the serendipitous discovery of a new mechanism of self-replication. We found that self-assembly in a mixture of interconverting oligomers is a general way of achieving self-replication, where the assembly process drives the synthesis of the very molecules that assemble. Mechanically induced breakage of the growing replicating assemblies resulted in their exponential growth, which is an important enabler for achieving Darwinian evolution. Through this mechanism, the self-replication of compounds containing peptides, nucleobases, and fully synthetic molecules was achieved. Several examples of evolutionary dynamics have been observed in these systems, including the spontaneous diversification of replicators allowing them to specialize on different food sets, history dependence of replicator composition, and the spontaneous emergence of parasitic behavior. Peptide-based replicator assemblies were found to organize their peptide units in space in a manner that, inadvertently, gives rise to microenvironments that are capable of catalysis of chemical reactions or binding-induced activation of cofactors. Among the reactions that can be catalyzed by the replicators are ones that produce the precursors from which these replicators grow, amounting to the first examples of the assimilation of a proto-metabolism. Operating these replicators in a chemically fueled out-of-equilibrium replication-destruction regime was found to promote an increase in their molecular complexity. Fueling counteracts the inherent tendency of replicators to evolve toward lower complexity (caused by the fact that smaller replicators tend to replicate faster). Among the remaining steps on the road to de novo life are now to assimilate compartmentalization and achieve open-ended evolution of the resulting system. Success in the synthesis of de novo life, once obtained, will have far-reaching implications for our understanding of what life is, for the search for extraterrestrial life, for how life may have originated on earth, and for every-day life by opening up new vistas in the form living technology and materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijbren Otto
- Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh
Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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34
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Schwarz PS, Tena-Solsona M, Dai K, Boekhoven J. Carbodiimide-fueled catalytic reaction cycles to regulate supramolecular processes. Chem Commun (Camb) 2022; 58:1284-1297. [PMID: 35014639 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc06428b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Using molecular self-assembly, supramolecular chemists can create Gigadalton-structures with angstrom precision held together by non-covalent interactions. However, despite relying on the same molecular toolbox for self-assembly, these synthetic structures lack the complexity and sophistication of biological assemblies. Those assemblies are non-equilibrium structures that rely on the constant consumption of energy transduced from the hydrolysis of chemical fuels like ATP and GTP, which endows them with dynamic properties, e.g., temporal and spatial control and self-healing ability. Thus, to synthesize life-like materials, we have to find a reaction cycle that converts chemical energy to regulate self-assembly. We and others recently found that this can be done by a reaction cycle that hydrates carbodiimides. This feature article aims to provide an overview of how the energy transduced from carbodiimide hydration can alter the function of molecules and regulate molecular assemblies. The goal is to offer the reader design considerations for carbodiimide-driven reaction cycles to create a desired morphology or function of the assembly and ultimately to push chemically fueled self-assembly further towards the bottom-up synthesis of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick S Schwarz
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748 Garching, Germany.
| | - Marta Tena-Solsona
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748 Garching, Germany.
| | - Kun Dai
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748 Garching, Germany.
| | - Job Boekhoven
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 4, 85748 Garching, Germany. .,Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 2a, 85748, Garching, Germany
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35
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Põldsalu I, Köksal ES, Gözen I. Mixed fatty acid-phospholipid protocell networks. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:26948-26954. [PMID: 34842249 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp03832j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Self-assembled membranes composed of both fatty acids and phospholipids are permeable for solutes and structurally stable, which was likely an advantageous combination for the development of primitive cells on the early Earth. Here we report on the solid surface-assisted formation of primitive mixed-surfactant membrane compartments, i.e. model protocells, from multilamellar lipid reservoirs composed of different ratios of fatty acids and phospholipids. Similar to the previously discovered enhancement of model protocell formation on solid substrates, we achieve spontaneous multi-step self-transformation of mixed surfactant reservoirs into closed surfactant containers, interconnected via nanotube networks. Some of the fatty acid-containing compartments in the networks exhibit colony-like growth. We demonstrate that the compartments generated from fatty acid-containing phospholipid membranes feature increased permeability coefficients for molecules in the ambient solution, for fluorescein up to 7 × 10-6 cm s-1 and for RNA up to 3.5 × 10-6 cm s-1. Our findings indicate that surface-assisted autonomous protocell formation and development, starting from mixed amphiphiles, is a plausible scenario for the early stages of the emergence of primitive cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Põldsalu
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0318 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Elif Senem Köksal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0318 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Irep Gözen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0318 Oslo, Norway. .,Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, 0315 Oslo, Norway
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36
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Budroni MA, Rossi F, Rongy L. From Transport Phenomena to Systems Chemistry: Chemohydrodynamic Oscillations in A+B→C Systems. CHEMSYSTEMSCHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/syst.202100023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcello A. Budroni
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy University of Sassari Via Vienna 2 Sassari 07100 Italy
| | - Federico Rossi
- Department of Physical Science, Earth and Environment University of Siena Pian dei Mantellini 44-53100 Siena SI Italy
| | - Laurence Rongy
- Nonlinear Physical Chemistry Unit Faculté des Sciences Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) CP231, 1050 Brussels Belgium
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Gözen İ. Did Solid Surfaces Enable the Origin of Life? Life (Basel) 2021; 11:795. [PMID: 34440539 PMCID: PMC8399221 DOI: 10.3390/life11080795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
In this perspective article, I discuss whether and how solid surfaces could have played a key role in the formation of membranous primitive cells on the early Earth. I argue why surface energy could have been used by prebiotic amphiphile assemblies for unique morphological transformations, and present recent experimental findings showing the surface-dependent formation and behavior of sophisticated lipid membrane structures. Finally, I discuss the possible unique contributions of such surface-adhered architectures to the transition from prebiotic matter to living systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- İrep Gözen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0318 Oslo, Norway;
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, 0315 Oslo, Norway
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Rivera-Valentín EG, Filiberto J, Lynch KL, Mamajanov I, Lyons TW, Schulte M, Méndez A. Introduction-First Billion Years: Habitability. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:893-905. [PMID: 34406807 PMCID: PMC8403211 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The physical processes active during the first billion years (FBY) of Earth's history, such as accretion, differentiation, and impact cratering, provide constraints on the initial conditions that were conducive to the formation and establishment of life on Earth. This motivated the Lunar and Planetary Institute's FBY topical initiative, which was a four-part conference series intended to look at each of these physical processes to study the basic structure and composition of our Solar System that was set during the FBY. The FBY Habitability conference, held in September 2019, was the last in this series and was intended to synthesize the initiative; specifically, to further our understanding of the origins of life, planetary and environmental habitability, and the search for life beyond Earth. The conference included discussions of planetary habitability and the potential emergence of life on bodies within our Solar System, as well as extrasolar systems by applying our knowledge of the Solar System's FBY, and in particular Earth's early history. To introduce this Special Collection, which resulted from work discussed at the conference, we provide a review of the main themes and a synopsis of the FBY Habitability conference.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Justin Filiberto
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kennda L. Lynch
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Irena Mamajanov
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Timothy W. Lyons
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Mitch Schulte
- Planetary Science Division, NASA Headquarters, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Abel Méndez
- Planetary Habitability Laboratory, University of Puerto Rico Arecibo, Arecibo, Puerto Rico
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40
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Martin N, Douliez J. Fatty Acid Vesicles and Coacervates as Model Prebiotic Protocells. CHEMSYSTEMSCHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/syst.202100024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Martin
- Univ. Bordeaux CNRS Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal UMR 5031 115 Avenue du Dr. Albert Schweitzer 33600 Pessac France
| | - Jean‐Paul Douliez
- Univ. Bordeaux INRAE Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie UMR 1332 71 Avenue Edouard Bourlaux 33140 Villenave d'Ornon France
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41
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Guo W, Kinghorn AB, Zhang Y, Li Q, Poonam AD, Tanner JA, Shum HC. Non-associative phase separation in an evaporating droplet as a model for prebiotic compartmentalization. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3194. [PMID: 34045455 PMCID: PMC8160217 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23410-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The synthetic pathways of life’s building blocks are envisaged to be through a series of complex prebiotic reactions and processes. However, the strategy to compartmentalize and concentrate biopolymers under prebiotic conditions remains elusive. Liquid-liquid phase separation is a mechanism by which membraneless organelles form inside cells, and has been hypothesized as a potential mechanism for prebiotic compartmentalization. Associative phase separation of oppositely charged species has been shown to partition RNA, but the strongly negative charge exhibited by RNA suggests that RNA-polycation interactions could inhibit RNA folding and its functioning inside the coacervates. Here, we present a prebiotically plausible pathway for non-associative phase separation within an evaporating all-aqueous sessile droplet. We quantitatively investigate the kinetic pathway of phase separation triggered by the non-uniform evaporation rate, together with the Marangoni flow-driven hydrodynamics inside the sessile droplet. With the ability to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation, the drying droplets provide a robust mechanism for formation of prebiotic membraneless compartments, as demonstrated by localization and storage of nucleic acids, in vitro transcription, as well as a three-fold enhancement of ribozyme activity. The compartmentalization mechanism illustrated in this model system is feasible on wet organophilic silica-rich surfaces during early molecular evolution. Prebiotic compartmentalization could prove essential for the evolution of life. Guo et al. show that liquid-liquid separation in an aqueous two-phase system driven by evaporation may already suffice to facilitate chemical processes required for the RNA world hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Guo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR), Hong Kong, China
| | - Andrew B Kinghorn
- School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR), Hong Kong, China
| | - Yage Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR), Hong Kong, China
| | - Qingchuan Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR), Hong Kong, China.,School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, National Engineering Research Center for Colloidal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Aditi Dey Poonam
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR), Hong Kong, China
| | - Julian A Tanner
- School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR), Hong Kong, China. .,Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), Hong Kong, China.
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR), Hong Kong, China. .,Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), Hong Kong, China.
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42
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Sarkar S, Dagar S, Rajamani S. Influence of Wet–Dry Cycling on the Self‐Assembly and Physicochemical Properties of Model Protocellular Membrane Systems. CHEMSYSTEMSCHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/syst.202100014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susovan Sarkar
- Department of Biology Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune 411008 India
| | - Shikha Dagar
- Department of Biology Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune 411008 India
| | - Sudha Rajamani
- Department of Biology Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune 411008 India
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43
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Viennet JC, Bernard S, Le Guillou C, Sautter V, Grégoire B, Jambon A, Pont S, Beyssac O, Zanda B, Hewins R, Remusat L. Martian Magmatic Clay Minerals Forming Vesicles: Perfect Niches for Emerging Life? ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:605-612. [PMID: 33684326 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2345] [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: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Mars was habitable in its early history, but the consensus is that it is quite inhospitable today, in particular because its modern climate cannot support stable liquid water at the surface. Here, we report the presence of magmatic Fe/Mg clay minerals within the mesostasis of the martian meteorite NWA 5790, an unaltered 1.3 Ga nakhlite archetypal of the martian crust. These magmatic clay minerals exhibit a vesicular texture that forms a network of microcavities or pockets, which could serve as microreactors and allow molecular crowding, a necessary step for the emergence of life. Because their formation does not depend on climate, such niches for emerging life may have been generated on Mars at many periods throughout its history, regardless of the stability or availability of liquid water at the surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Christophe Viennet
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, CNRS UMR 7590, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Bernard
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, CNRS UMR 7590, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Corentin Le Guillou
- Université Lille, CNRS, INRA, ENSCL, UMR 8207 - UMET - Unité Matériaux et Transformations, Lille, France
| | - Violaine Sautter
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, CNRS UMR 7590, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Brian Grégoire
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Poitiers, UMR 7285 IC2MP-Hydrasa, Poitiers, France
| | - Albert Jambon
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, CNRS UMR 7590, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Pont
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, CNRS UMR 7590, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Beyssac
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, CNRS UMR 7590, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Brigitte Zanda
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, CNRS UMR 7590, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Roger Hewins
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, CNRS UMR 7590, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Laurent Remusat
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, CNRS UMR 7590, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris, France
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44
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Caliari A, Xu J, Yomo T. The requirement of cellularity for abiogenesis. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2202-2212. [PMID: 33995913 PMCID: PMC8099592 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The history of modern biochemistry started with the cellular theory of life. By putting aside the holistic protoplasmic theory, scientists of the XX century were able to advance the functional classification of cellular components significantly. The cell became the unit of the living. Current theories on the abiogenesis of life must account for a moment in evolution (chemical or biological) when this was not the case. Investigating the role of compartments and membranes along chemical and biotic evolution can lead a more generalised idea of living organisms that is fundamental to advance our efforts in astrobiology, origin of life and artificial life studies. Furthermore, it may provide insights in unexplained evolutionary features such as the lipid divide between Archaea and Eubacteria. By surveying our current understanding of the involvement of compartments in abiogenesis and evolution, the idea of cells as atomistic units of a general theory of biology will be discussed. The aim is not to undermine the validity of the cellular theory of life, but rather to elucidate possible biases with regards to cellularity and the origin of life. An open discussion in these regards could show the inherent limitations of non-cellular compartmentalization that may lead to the necessity of cellular structures to support complex life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Caliari
- School of Software Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
| | - Jian Xu
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
| | - Tetsuya Yomo
- Laboratory of Biology and Information Science, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
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Kunstmann-Olsen C, Belić D, Bradley DF, Danks SP, Diaz Fernandez YA, Grzelczak MP, Hill AP, Qiao X, Raval R, Sorzabal-Bellido I, Brust M. Ion shuttling between emulsion droplets by crown ether modified gold nanoparticles. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2021; 3:3136-3144. [PMID: 34124578 PMCID: PMC8168925 DOI: 10.1039/d1na00009h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Selective unidirectional transport of barium ions between droplets in a water-in-chloroform emulsion is demonstrated. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) modified with a thiolated crown ether act as barium ion complexing shuttles that carry the ions from one population of droplets (source) to another (target). This process is driven by a steep barium ion concentration gradient between source and target droplets. The concentration of barium ions in the target droplets is kept low at all times by the precipitation of insoluble barium sulfate. A potential role of electrostatically coupled secondary processes that maintain the electroneutrality of the emulsion droplets is discussed. Charging of the GNP metal cores by electron transfer in the presence of the Fe(ii)/Fe(iii) redox couple appears to affect the partitioning of the GNPs between the water droplets and the chloroform phase. Processes have been monitored and studied by optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) and zeta potential. The shuttle action of the GNPs has further been demonstrated electrochemically in a model system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Domagoj Belić
- University of Liverpool, Department of Chemistry Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Dan F Bradley
- University of Liverpool, Department of Chemistry Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Stephen P Danks
- University of Liverpool, Department of Chemistry Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Yuri A Diaz Fernandez
- University of Liverpool, Department of Chemistry, Open Innovation Hub for Antimicrobial Surfaces, Surface Science Research Centre Liverpool L69 3BX UK
| | - Marcin P Grzelczak
- University of Liverpool, Department of Chemistry Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Alexander P Hill
- University of Liverpool, Department of Chemistry Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Xiaohang Qiao
- University of Liverpool, Department of Chemistry Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Rasmita Raval
- University of Liverpool, Department of Chemistry Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Ioritz Sorzabal-Bellido
- University of Liverpool, Department of Chemistry, Open Innovation Hub for Antimicrobial Surfaces, Surface Science Research Centre Liverpool L69 3BX UK
| | - Mathias Brust
- University of Liverpool, Department of Chemistry Crown Street Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
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46
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Mizuuchi R, Ichihashi N. Primitive Compartmentalization for the Sustainable Replication of Genetic Molecules. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11030191. [PMID: 33670881 PMCID: PMC7997230 DOI: 10.3390/life11030191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Sustainable replication and evolution of genetic molecules such as RNA are likely requisites for the emergence of life; however, these processes are easily affected by the appearance of parasitic molecules that replicate by relying on the function of other molecules, while not contributing to their replication. A possible mechanism to repress parasite amplification is compartmentalization that segregates parasitic molecules and limits their access to functional genetic molecules. Although extent cells encapsulate genomes within lipid-based membranes, more primitive materials or simple geological processes could have provided compartmentalization on early Earth. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the types and roles of primitive compartmentalization regarding sustainable replication of genetic molecules, especially from the perspective of the prevention of parasite replication. In addition, we also describe the ability of several environments to selectively accumulate longer genetic molecules, which could also have helped select functional genetic molecules rather than fast-replicating short parasitic molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Mizuuchi
- Komaba Institute for Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- JST, PRESTO, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
- Correspondence: (R.M.); (N.I.)
| | - Norikazu Ichihashi
- Komaba Institute for Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Correspondence: (R.M.); (N.I.)
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Jia TZ, Caudan M, Mamajanov I. Origin of Species before Origin of Life: The Role of Speciation in Chemical Evolution. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:154. [PMID: 33671365 PMCID: PMC7922636 DOI: 10.3390/life11020154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Speciation, an evolutionary process by which new species form, is ultimately responsible for the incredible biodiversity that we observe on Earth every day. Such biodiversity is one of the critical features which contributes to the survivability of biospheres and modern life. While speciation and biodiversity have been amply studied in organismic evolution and modern life, it has not yet been applied to a great extent to understanding the evolutionary dynamics of primitive life. In particular, one unanswered question is at what point in the history of life did speciation as a phenomenon emerge in the first place. Here, we discuss the mechanisms by which speciation could have occurred before the origins of life in the context of chemical evolution. Specifically, we discuss that primitive compartments formed before the emergence of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) could have provided a mechanism by which primitive chemical systems underwent speciation. In particular, we introduce a variety of primitive compartment structures, and associated functions, that may have plausibly been present on early Earth, followed by examples of both discriminate and indiscriminate speciation affected by primitive modes of compartmentalization. Finally, we discuss modern technologies, in particular, droplet microfluidics, that can be applied to studying speciation phenomena in the laboratory over short timescales. We hope that this discussion highlights the current areas of need in further studies on primitive speciation phenomena while simultaneously proposing directions as important areas of study to the origins of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Z. Jia
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan;
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, 1001 4th Ave., Suite 3201, Seattle, WA 98154, USA
| | - Melina Caudan
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan;
| | - Irena Mamajanov
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan;
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Spustova K, Köksal ES, Ainla A, Gözen I. Subcompartmentalization and Pseudo-Division of Model Protocells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2005320. [PMID: 33230918 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202005320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Membrane enclosed intracellular compartments have been exclusively associated with the eukaryotes, represented by the highly compartmentalized last eukaryotic common ancestor. Recent evidence showing the presence of membranous compartments with specific functions in archaea and bacteria makes it conceivable that the last universal common ancestor and its hypothetical precursor, the protocell, may have exhibited compartmentalization. To the authors' knowledge, there are no experimental studies yet that have tested this hypothesis. They report on an autonomous subcompartmentalization mechanism for protocells which results in the transformation of initial subcompartments to daughter protocells. The process is solely determined by the fundamental materials properties and interfacial events, and does not require biological machinery or chemical energy supply. In the light of the authors' findings, it is proposed that similar events may have taken place under early Earth conditions, leading to the development of compartmentalized cells and potentially, primitive division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Spustova
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Elif Senem Köksal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
| | - Alar Ainla
- International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Braga, 4715-330, Portugal
| | - Irep Gözen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0318, Norway
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0315, Norway
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, SE-412 96, Sweden
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Jia TZ, Wang PH, Niwa T, Mamajanov I. Connecting primitive phase separation to biotechnology, synthetic biology, and engineering. J Biosci 2021; 46:79. [PMID: 34373367 PMCID: PMC8342986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
One aspect of the study of the origins of life focuses on how primitive chemistries assembled into the first cells on Earth and how these primitive cells evolved into modern cells. Membraneless droplets generated from liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) are one potential primitive cell-like compartment; current research in origins of life includes study of the structure, function, and evolution of such systems. However, the goal of primitive LLPS research is not simply curiosity or striving to understand one of life's biggest unanswered questions, but also the possibility to discover functions or structures useful for application in the modern day. Many applicational fields, including biotechnology, synthetic biology, and engineering, utilize similar phaseseparated structures to accomplish specific functions afforded by LLPS. Here, we briefly review LLPS applied to primitive compartment research and then present some examples of LLPS applied to biomolecule purification, drug delivery, artificial cell construction, waste and pollution management, and flavor encapsulation. Due to a significant focus on similar functions and structures, there appears to be much for origins of life researchers to learn from those working on LLPS in applicational fields, and vice versa, and we hope that such researchers can start meaningful cross-disciplinary collaborations in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Z Jia
- grid.32197.3e0000 0001 2179 2105Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8550 Japan ,grid.482804.2Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, 1001 4th Ave., Suite 3201, Seattle, Washington 98154 USA
| | - Po-Hsiang Wang
- grid.32197.3e0000 0001 2179 2105Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8550 Japan ,grid.37589.300000 0004 0532 3167Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Central University, Zhongli Dist, 300 Zhongda Rd, Taoyuan City, 32001 Taiwan
| | - Tatsuya Niwa
- grid.32197.3e0000 0001 2179 2105Cell Biology Center, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta-cho 4259, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8503 Japan
| | - Irena Mamajanov
- grid.32197.3e0000 0001 2179 2105Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8550 Japan
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50
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Prebiotically-relevant low polyion multivalency can improve functionality of membraneless compartments. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5949. [PMID: 33230101 PMCID: PMC7683531 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19775-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Multivalent polyions can undergo complex coacervation, producing membraneless compartments that accumulate ribozymes and enhance catalysis, and offering a mechanism for functional prebiotic compartmentalization in the origins of life. Here, we evaluate the impact of lower, more prebiotically-relevant, polyion multivalency on the functional performance of coacervates as compartments. Positively and negatively charged homopeptides with 1–100 residues and adenosine mono-, di-, and triphosphate nucleotides are used as model polyions. Polycation/polyanion pairs are tested for coacervation, and resulting membraneless compartments are analyzed for salt resistance, ability to provide a distinct internal microenvironment (apparent local pH, RNA partitioning), and effect on RNA structure formation. We find that coacervates formed by phase separation of the shorter polyions more effectively generated distinct pH microenvironments, accumulated RNA, and preserved duplexes than those formed by longer polyions. Hence, coacervates formed by reduced multivalency polyions are not only viable as functional compartments for prebiotic chemistries, they can outperform higher molecular weight analogues. Short cationic peptides and nucleotides can form complex coacervates, but the influence of reduced multivalency on coacervate functionality was not investigated. Here, the authors report that coacervates formed from short polyions generate distinct pH microenvironments, accumulate RNA and preserve nucleic acid duplexes more efficiently than their longer counterparts.
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