Has Inositol Played Any Role in the Origin of Life?

Abstract

Phosphorus, as phosphate, plays a paramount role in biology. Since phosphate transfer reactions are an integral part of contemporary life, phosphate may have been incorporated into the initial molecules at the very beginning. To facilitate the studies into early phosphate utilization, we should look retrospectively to phosphate-rich molecules present in today’s cells. Overlooked by origin of life studies until now, inositol and the inositol phosphates, of which some species possess more phosphate groups that carbon atoms, represent ideal molecules to consider in this context. The current sophisticated association of inositol with phosphate, and the roles that some inositol phosphates play in regulating cellular phosphate homeostasis, intriguingly suggest that inositol might have played some role in the prebiotic process of phosphate exploitation. Inositol can be synthesized abiotically and, unlike glucose or ribose, is chemically stable. This stability makes inositol the ideal candidate for the earliest organophosphate molecules, as primitive inositol phosphates. I also present arguments suggesting roles for some inositol phosphates in early chemical evolution events. Finally, the possible prebiotic synthesis of inositol pyrophosphates could have generated high-energy molecules to be utilized in primitive trans-phosphorylating processes.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Organophosphate Chemistry

“…Moreover, the P(III)-P(V) intermediates can also be used as a handle to introduce thiophosphates, such as, for example, 34. 83 It is also possible to introduce 18 O labels in nucleoside triphosphates 35, which we then applied in collaboration with Keiryn Bennett in mass-spectrome-try-based assays to identify new targets of the kinase Bcr-Abl. 84…”

“…15 At the same time, new hypotheses regarding the origin and evolution of life can be delineated. [16][17][18] I therefore have no doubt that further improvements in organophosphate chemistry will be of fundamental importance in our efforts to better understand the principles of life.…”

Inositol Signaling in the Basidiomycete Fungus Schizophyllum commune

“…Inositol phosphate signaling has been intensively studied since the 1980s [11,12]. In ascomycete and yeast-forming fungi, inositol phosphate signaling plays a major role in a wide range of biological processes, including metabolic adaptation, apoptosis, fungal virulence, vesicle trafficking, and sexual development [13][14][15][16].…”

Supramolecular interaction of inositol phosphates with Cu(ii): comparative study of InsP6–InsP3

“…Even though they are ubiquitous and abundant in eukaryotic cells, their functions are still poorly understood, and many authors agree that their biochemistry will increasingly become clear from future work. [1][2][3][4] Together with inositol pyrophosphates, they are involved in numerous cellular processes, including insulin signaling and cell migration. 5 For example, myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate has reached the textbooks with a specific biological function related to intracellular calcium mobilization.…”