Scientists Provide New Data About Life's Potential Origin

[TurkeyOnRye]

Common origins of RNA, protein and lipid precursors in a cyanosulfidic protometabolism

Bhavesh H. Patel, Claudia Percivalle, Dougal J. Ritson, Colm D. Duffy, & John D. Sutherland

ABSTRACT
A minimal cell can be thought of as comprising informational, compartment-forming and metabolic subsystems. To imagine the abiotic assembly of such an overall system, however, places great demands on hypothetical prebiotic chemistry. The perceived differences and incompatibilities between these subsystems have led to the widely held assumption that one or other subsystem must have preceded the others. Here we experimentally investigate the validity of this assumption by examining the assembly of various biomolecular building blocks from prebiotically plausible intermediates and one-carbon feedstock molecules. We show that precursors of ribonucleotides, amino acids and lipids can all be derived by the reductive homologation of hydrogen cyanide and some of its derivatives, and thus that all the cellular subsystems could have arisen simultaneously through common chemistry. The key reaction steps are driven by ultraviolet light, use hydrogen sulfide as the reductant and can be accelerated by Cu(I)–Cu(II) photoredox cycling.

Nature Chemistry article abstract found here:
http://www.nature.com/nchem/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nchem.2202.html

MSN cover article here:
Scientists Claim to Solve Riddle of Life's Chemical Origins - NBC News

 

[Skwim]

MSN cover article here:
Scientists Claim to Solve Riddle of Life's Chemical Origins - NBC News

Scientific journal article abstract here:
http://www.nature.com/nchem/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nchem.2202.html

It was just a matter of time.

 

[Revoltingest]

Fascinating!

 

[Sapiens]

Here's the abstract:

A minimal cell can be thought of as comprising informational, compartment-forming and metabolic subsystems. To imagine the abiotic assembly of such an overall system, however, places great demands on hypothetical prebiotic chemistry. The perceived differences and incompatibilities between these subsystems have led to the widely held assumption that one or other subsystem must have preceded the others. Here we experimentally investigate the validity of this assumption by examining the assembly of various biomolecular building blocks from prebiotically plausible intermediates and one-carbon feedstock molecules. We show that precursors of ribonucleotides, amino acids and lipids can all be derived by the reductive homologation of hydrogen cyanide and some of its derivatives, and thus that all the cellular subsystems could have arisen simultaneously through common chemistry. The key reaction steps are driven by ultraviolet light, use hydrogen sulfide as the reductant and can be accelerated by Cu(I)–Cu(II) photoredox cycling.

A wonderful piece of work, fine integrative science. UV light argues against a deep sea origin, hydrogen sulfide argues for terrestrial hot springs, shallow ocean thermal vents or something similar.

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

Here's the abstract:

A minimal cell...

Good idea, Sapiens, thank you. I'll edit the OP to include the text of the abstract.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Cool. Things get more and more interesting.

 

[Ouroboros]

What? More evolution stuff? So how does this prove that chestnuts evolved from monkeys? And how does this prove that vanilla ice cream comes from rocks? Huh?!! Just kiddin' of course.

Great find. This will be useful in any "evolution hasn't solved abiogenesis and therefore everything it says must be wrong!" posts.

 

[dust1n]

Looks like the RNA-world hypothesis, and (not necessarily a direct consequence of this) endosymbiotic theory, just got a huge gain of support.

Wowser...

 

[Whiterain]

I like abiogenesis myself.