A Suggested Pioneer Organism for the Wächtershäuser Origin of Life Hypothesis

Abstract

A suggested pioneer organism for the Wächtershäuser origin of life hypothesis is presented. In this scenario, a cubic pyrite crystal edge serves as a catalytic surface for the production of a proto-nucleic acid. Computational analysis demonstrates how the vacant cubic pyrite edge could be populated by iron(II) and hydrogen phosphate, capped with a distorted iron pentacarbonyl. A bridging iron sulfide then forms blocking one side of the edge. The carbonyl on the other side of the edge can then react with either existing uracil or cytosine, to produce a nitrogen-iron carbonyl intermediate. This intermediate serves as a free radical initiator for a polymerization of carbon monoxide and molecular hydrogen. After the fourth carbon is added to the chain, the polymerization is terminated by ring formation yielding a condensed ribose. The resultant product is a proto-nucleic acid, a pioneer organism.

Regulation of mitochondrial bioenergetic function by hydrogen sulfide. Part I. Biochemical and physiological mechanisms

“…According to one evolutionary theory, life, in fact, evolved near the deep-sea vents billions of years ago, prior the existence of oxygen on the planet. Therefore, primordial versions of sulfide-based metabolism may have preceded the current, oxygen-based life on the planet by several billions of years (MacLeod et al, 1994;Heinen and Lauwers, 1996;Kundell, 2011;Mielke et al, 2011;Mulkidjanian et al, 2012).…”

Understanding the Surfaces and Crystal Growth of Pyrite FeS2

“…Pyrite is also part of the biomineralization cycle of some organisms, such as magnetotactic bacteria living in a sulfurous environment 9,10 . It may have played as well a significant role in the origin of life 11,12 . The mineral has very common elements, Fe and S, with no commercial value of its own.…”

Simple Disulfides: Studies of Some Exponents of a Family Involved in Prominent Processes

“…This pioneer organism could then react further to form larger bio‐compounds such as proteins, leading to a gradual increase in complexity and eventually producing nucleic acids. Kundell suggests that the previously proposed evolutionary process could be significantly shortened and simplified by using pyrite directly to produce protonucleic acid [6] …”

“…Kundell suggests that the previously proposed evolutionary process could be significantly shortened and simplified by using pyrite directly to produce protonucleic acid. [6] Disulfide bonds play a crucial role in the formation of proteins and peptides. For instance, in the case of simple amino acids such as cysteine, the process of disulfide formation involves the stabilization of a tertiary structure through the formation of an intramolecular SÀ S bridge.…”