ChemInform Abstract: Sulfur‐Containing Nucleic Acids: Synthesis, Chemical Reactions in Supramolecular Biopolymer Complexes, Biological Applications

Dolinnaya, Nina G.; Borisova, O. A.

doi:10.1002/chin.200119227

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…A network expansion study based on a small suite of likely prebiotic molecules on Earth excluding phosphorus was able to recapitulate many reactions required for energy metabolism, largely relying on thioester molecule-mediated reactions [21]. Similarly, biomedical 14/27 technology has used disulfide-bridges to replace phosphate bridges in artificial nucleotide polymers [4,13]. In phosphorus-limited regions of Earth's surface ocean, there is a distinct macromolecular signature of phosphorus replacement with nitrogen-bearing lipids [70], suggesting that natural selection on Earth has identified mechanisms of phosphorus replacement in lipids.…”

Section: Reimagining Phosphorus As a Trace Constituent Of Enceledean ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Observations of Elemental Composition of Enceladus Consistent with Generalized Models of Theoretical Ecosystems

Muratore,

Walker,

Graham

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Recent analysis of data from the Cassini Cosmic Dust Analyzer confirm geochemical modeling work that shows that the ocean of Enceladus contains considerable quantities of inorganic phosphorus as well as ammonium [55]. Technological advancement in flight instrumentation will continue to yield increasingly detailed data about the relative elemental and molecular composition of life detection candidates. Apart from speculating about threshold concentrations of bioactive compounds to support ecosystems, metabolic and ecological theory can provide a powerful interpretative lens to assess whether extraterrestrial environments are compatible with living ecosystems. Using multiple levels of ecological analysis, spanning from assuming strictly Earth-like organismal physiology to more agnostic understandings of putative biochemistries, we compare the proposed N:P stoichiometries of the Enceledus ocean to possible ecologies. We use chemostat models to predict potentially supportable biomass concentrations under different energy and matter flux regimes, macromolecular allometric theory to compare hypothetical biomass N:P ratios to possible environmental N:P supply ratios, and finally take a data-driven biogeochemical approach to predict possible biomass N:P ratios from the observed dissolved ratios. All three of our modeling approaches suggest marginal compatibility of an ecosystem with the ranges of dissolved N and P concentrations in the Enceledean ocean. Based on our analysis, we suggest two main priorities for further research into terrestrial analogs to improve our ability to interpret geochemical ratios as a life detection instrument.

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Section: Reimagining Phosphorus As a Trace Constituent Of Enceledean ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Observations of Elemental Composition of Enceladus Consistent with Generalized Models of Theoretical Ecosystems

Muratore,

Walker,

Graham

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

ChemInform Abstract: Sulfur‐Containing Nucleic Acids: Synthesis, Chemical Reactions in Supramolecular Biopolymer Complexes, Biological Applications

Cited by 1 publication

References 1 publication

Observations of Elemental Composition of Enceladus Consistent with Generalized Models of Theoretical Ecosystems

Observations of Elemental Composition of Enceladus Consistent with Generalized Models of Theoretical Ecosystems

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