Chirality and cold origin of life

Gol’danskii, V.I.; Kuzmin, V.V.

doi:10.1038/352114a0

Cited by 41 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Resolving the question of what controls microtubule orientation could provide deeper insights into the nature of directional bias in twining plants. One possible explanation might be that microtubule directional bias reflects the chiral purity that exists in the terrestrial biosphere (19 of the 20 biologically important amino acids are left‐handed; the other is achiral) (Goldanski & Kuzman, 1991). Left‐handed amino acids give rise to predominantly right‐handed helices in proteins (Novotny & Kleywegt, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The global trend in plant twining direction

Edwards

Moles

Franks

2007

Global Ecology and Biogeography

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AimTo examine, at a global scale, patterns in the direction in which climbing plants twine. We tested three hypotheses: (1) that twining direction is determined randomly; (2) that twining direction is determined by apices following the apparent movement of the sun across the sky; and (3) that twining direction is determined by the Coriolis effect.Location Seventeen sites spanning nine countries, both hemispheres and 65 ° of latitude.Methods Twining direction was recorded for the first c . 100 stems encountered along transects through natural vegetation at each site.Results Ninety-two per cent of the 1485 twining stems we recorded grew in righthanded helices, i.e. they twined in an anticlockwise direction. This is significantly ( P < 0.001) different from random. The proportion of stems twining right-handedly (anticlockwise) was independent of both latitude ( P = 0.33) and hemisphere ( P = 0.63). These data are inconsistent with the idea that twining direction is determined by either the relative passage of the sun through the celestial sphere or by the Coriolis effect. Thus, we reject all three of our hypotheses. Main conclusionsThe predominance of right-handed helical growth in climbing plants cannot be explained by hypotheses attempting to link plant growth behaviour and global location. One alternative hypothesis for our findings is that the widespread phenomenon of anticlockwise twining arises as a function of microtubule orientation operating at a subcellular level.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The global trend in plant twining direction

Edwards

Moles

Franks

2007

Global Ecology and Biogeography

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“…Had a simple χ 2 ‐test been developed prior to 1865, Darwin's data would have shown a significant deviation from a simple 50 : 50 expectation (χ 2 = 4.924, P = 0.026) in favour of right‐handed forms: a result similar to our demonstration on a global scale. The hypothesis we presented to explain the predominance of right‐handed forms was that the orientation of cortical microtubules at the time of cell elongation may be transverse to the axis of elongation (Lloyd & Chan, 2002), resulting in torsional forces and producing ‘twist’, and that preponderance for right‐handedness might reflect the chiral nature of naturally occurring amino acids and thus proteins (Goldanskii & Kuzman, 1991; Novotny & Kleywegt, 2005). Complete understanding of this phenomenon is far from resolved at the present time and continues to stimulate ongoing enquiry and debate (Gardner, 1982; Simmons et al.…”

Section: Darwin's Work Foreshadowed Research In Many Fields and Direcmentioning

confidence: 99%

Re-contemplate an entangled bank:The Power of Movement in Plantsrevisited

Edwards¹,

Moles²

2009

Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society

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We review the ways in which two of Charles Darwin's lesser known works, The Movement and Habit of Twining Plants and The Power of Movement in Plants, stimulated 20th and 21st century research findings and philosophies. The legacy of Darwin's work permeates research on plant movement. For example, Darwin's demonstration that coleoptiles and roots fail to bend in response to light or gravity if their tips are removed helped researchers work toward the discovery of auxin and other plant hormones. Darwin's methodical observations on vine twining directions and circumnutation foreshadowed the recent discovery that 92% of vines twine in right-handed helices, regardless of their location on the planet. Finally, Darwin's observation of the similarity between plant responses to stimuli and the responses of lower animals foreshadowed the current debate over whether plants have 'behaviour'. Thus, even Darwin's lesser-known works continue to influence research in the present day.

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“…The products of such reactions must then have been transported to Earth via meteorites or comets (Goldanski and Kuzmin, 1991). The Goldanski model assumes that chemical reactions can take place in the dark clouds of interstellar dust, even at temperatures close to absolute zero.…”

Section: The Chirality Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical Evolution and the Origin of Life

Rauchfuss¹

2008

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-The f omation of more complex carbon compounds from simple ones through t h e action of radiation i s used i n an interpretation of the original formation of such compounds on earth, The relation of plants and animals and evolution of photosynthesis i s ?iscussed i n the l i g h t of the p r t i c ip t i o n of sulfur compounds i n the metabolism of both g r o u p , (' 1 The work described i n t h i s pipr was sponsorer? by the U. S. At-c Energy 2 . d s s f on,

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Chirality and cold origin of life

Cited by 41 publications

References 13 publications

The global trend in plant twining direction

The global trend in plant twining direction

Re-contemplate an entangled bank:The Power of Movement in Plantsrevisited

Chemical Evolution and the Origin of Life

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