Mineral–Lipid Interactions in the Origins of Life

Dalai, Punam; Sahai, Nita

doi:10.1016/j.tibs.2018.11.009

Cited by 31 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…The solid model substrates Al 2 O 3 and Al (with a native oxide layer) as well as SiO 2 , represent constituents of rock forming minerals on the early Earth. [ 53 ] Al 2 O 3 occurs naturally as Corundum, a mineral which has been studied and shown to amplify lipid bilayer formation. [ 53 ] Sputtered SiO 2 corresponds to Quartz, which was associated with amino acid adsorption and peptide synthesis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Subcompartmentalization and Pseudo‐Division of Model Protocells

Spustová

Köksal

Ainla

et al. 2020

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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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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[ 53 ] Al 2 O 3 occurs naturally as Corundum, a mineral which has been studied and shown to amplify lipid bilayer formation. [ 53 ] Sputtered SiO 2 corresponds to Quartz, which was associated with amino acid adsorption and peptide synthesis. [ 13,54 ]…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Subcompartmentalization and Pseudo‐Division of Model Protocells

Spustová

Köksal

Ainla

et al. 2020

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“…As described earlier, biological polymers such as oligonucleotides and oligopeptides are products of condensation reactions and can be synthesized when their solutions are exposed to multiple wet-dry cycles in acidic fresh water (Rajamani et al, 2008;Toppozini et al, 2013;da Silva et al, 2014;DeGuzman et al, 2014;Forsythe et al, 2015;Rodriguez-Garcia et al, 2015;Himbert et al, 2016;Misuraca et al, 2017;Yu et al, 2017). Mineral surfaces and peptides may play roles such as nonenzymatic polymerization in early steps in life's origins and bear further investigation (Dalai and Sahai, 2018;Kaddour et al, 2018). If lipids are present during a wet-dry cycle, polymers are encapsulated to form protocells (Deamer and Barchfeld, 1982;Apel et al, 2002).…”

Section: Comparative Environments For An Origin Of Lifementioning

confidence: 99%

The Hot Spring Hypothesis for an Origin of Life

2020

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We present a testable hypothesis related to an origin of life on land in which fluctuating volcanic hot spring pools play a central role. The hypothesis is based on experimental evidence that lipid-encapsulated polymers can be synthesized by cycles of hydration and dehydration to form protocells. Drawing on metaphors from the bootstrapping of a simple computer operating system, we show how protocells cycling through wet, dry, and moist phases will subject polymers to combinatorial selection and draw structural and catalytic functions out of initially random sequences, including structural stabilization, pore formation, and primitive metabolic activity. We propose that protocells aggregating into a hydrogel in the intermediate moist phase of wet-dry cycles represent a primitive progenote system. Progenote populations can undergo selection and distribution, construct niches in new environments, and enable a sharing network effect that can collectively evolve them into the first microbial communities. Laboratory and field experiments testing the first steps of the scenario are summarized. The scenario is then placed in a geological setting on the early Earth to suggest a plausible pathway from life's origin in chemically optimal freshwater hot spring pools to the emergence of microbial communities tolerant to more extreme conditions in dilute lakes and salty conditions in marine environments. A continuity is observed for biogenesis beginning with simple protocell aggregates, through the transitional form of the progenote, to robust microbial mats that leave the fossil imprints of stromatolites so representative in the rock record. A roadmap to future testing of the hypothesis is presented. We compare the oceanic vent with land-based pool scenarios for an origin of life and explore their implications for subsequent evolution to multicellular life such as plants. We conclude by utilizing the hypothesis to posit where life might also have emerged in habitats such as Mars or Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. Key Words: Origin of life-Prebiotic chemistry-Hydrothermal systems-Protocells-Progenotes-Microbial communities. Astrobiology 20, 429-452. ''To postulate one fortuitously catalyzed reaction, perhaps catalyzed by a metal ion, might be reasonable, but to postulate a suite of them is to appeal to magic.''

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“…The theory suggests the origin/formation of zeolites and clays in the impact hydrothermal systems as one of the most significant links between impact craters and the origin of life. Such clays and zeolites are significant for the origin of life as these are believed to have provided assistance with the prebiotic syntheses of biomolecules and their subsequent concentration (as well as polymerization) on the early Earth [187][188][189][190][191][192][193][194][195][196][197]. Furthermore, impact craters could also plausibly have provided a suitable niche for the proliferation of the early life on the Earth.…”

Section: Recapitulation and Closing Thoughtsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Glycerol and Its Derivatives in the Biochemistry of Living Organisms, and Their Prebiotic Origin and Significance in the Evolution of Life

Gull

Pasek

2021

Catalysts

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The emergence and evolution of prebiotic biomolecules on the early Earth remain a question that is considered crucial to understanding the chemistry of the origin of life. Amongst prebiotic molecules, glycerol is significant due to its ubiquity in biochemistry. In this review, we discuss the significance of glycerol and its various derivatives in biochemistry, their plausible roles in the origin and evolution of early cell membranes, and significance in the biochemistry of extremophiles, followed by their prebiotic origin on the early Earth and associated catalytic processes that led to the origin of these compounds. We also discuss various scenarios for the prebiotic syntheses of glycerol and its derivates and evaluate these to determine their relevance to early Earth biochemistry and geochemistry, and recapitulate the utilization of various minerals (including clays), condensation agents, and solvents that could have led to the successful prebiotic genesis of these biomolecules. Furthermore, important prebiotic events such as meteoritic delivery and prebiotic synthesis reactions under astrophysical conditions are also discussed. Finally, we have also highlighted some novel features of glycerol, including glycerol nucleic acid (GNA), in the origin and evolution of the life.

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Mineral–Lipid Interactions in the Origins of Life

Cited by 31 publications

References 76 publications

Subcompartmentalization and Pseudo‐Division of Model Protocells

Subcompartmentalization and Pseudo‐Division of Model Protocells

The Hot Spring Hypothesis for an Origin of Life

The Role of Glycerol and Its Derivatives in the Biochemistry of Living Organisms, and Their Prebiotic Origin and Significance in the Evolution of Life

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