Hydrothermal Conditions and the Origin of Cellular Life

Deamer, David W.; Georgiou, Christos D.

doi:10.1089/ast.2015.1338

Cited by 73 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…A simple mechanism to accumulate and concentrate molecules and ions from the external environment into the preformed compartment with a phospholipid bilayer membrane would be crucial to develop liposome-type protocells 22,23 in the context of exploration on the origin of life and synthetic biology. Thus far, possible molecular scenarios for the origin of life were elucidated in views of molecular candidates in the early earth 24,25 , possible prebiotic synthesis of biomolecules [13][14][15][16][17] , and potential environments for the birth of the earliest life 26,27 . Besides, bottom-up construction of model protocells have been partly achieved by the synthetic chemical cell models mimicking important features of contemporary cells [28][29][30][31][32] .…”

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Hydrodynamic accumulation of small molecules and ions into cell-sized liposomes against a concentration gradient

et al. 2020

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In investigations of the emergence of protocells at the origin of life, repeatable and continuous supply of molecules and ions into the closed lipid bilayer membrane (liposome) is one of the fundamental challenges. Demonstrating an abiotic process to accumulate substances into preformed liposomes against the concentration gradient can provide a clue. Here we show that, without proteins, cell-sized liposomes under hydrodynamic environment repeatedly permeate small molecules and ions, including an analogue of adenosine triphosphate, even against the concentration gradient. The mechanism underlying this accumulation of the molecules and ions is shown to involve their unique partitioning at the liposomal membrane under forced external flow in a constrained space. This abiotic mechanism to accumulate substances inside of the liposomal compartment without light could provide an energetically up-hill process for protocells as a critical step toward the contemporary cells.

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Hydrodynamic accumulation of small molecules and ions into cell-sized liposomes against a concentration gradient

et al. 2020

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“…The polymerization of nucleotides is a condensation reaction in which phosphodiester bonds are formed. This reaction cannot occur in aqueous solutions, but guided polymerization in an anhydrous or confined environment could promote a non-enzymatic condensation reaction in which oligomers of single stranded nucleic acids are synthesized89.…”

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Organization of Nucleotides in Different Environments and the Formation of Pre-Polymers

Himbert

Chapman

Deamer

2016

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RNA is a linear polymer of nucleotides linked by a ribose-phosphate backbone. Polymerization of nucleotides occurs in a condensation reaction in which phosphodiester bonds are formed. However, in the absence of enzymes and metabolism there has been no obvious way for RNA-like molecules to be produced and then encapsulated in cellular compartments. We investigated 5′-adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and 5′-uridine monophosphate (UMP) molecules confined in multi-lamellar phospholipid bilayers, nanoscopic films, ammonium chloride salt crystals and Montmorillonite clay, previously proposed to promote polymerization. X-ray diffraction was used to determine whether such conditions imposed a degree of order on the nucleotides. Two nucleotide signals were observed in all matrices, one corresponding to a nearest neighbour distance of 4.6 Å attributed to nucleotides that form a disordered, glassy structure. A second, smaller distance of 3.4 Å agrees well with the distance between stacked base pairs in the RNA backbone, and was assigned to the formation of pre-polymers, i.e., the organization of nucleotides into stacks of about 10 monomers. Such ordering can provide conditions that promote the nonenzymatic polymerization of RNA strands under prebiotic conditions. Experiments were modeled by Monte-Carlo simulations, which provide details of the molecular structure of these pre-polymers.

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“…This is an important point, because it has been generally assumed that life began in the sea, perhaps in submarine hydrothermal vents [5,6,7]. However, an alternative proposition is that cellular life began in hydrothermal fields on volcanic land masses [8,9,10]. Figure 1 shows a hydrothermal field on Mt.…”

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The Role of Lipid Membranes in Life’s Origin

Deamer

2017

Life

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At some point in early evolution, life became cellular. Assuming that this step was required for the origin of life, there would necessarily be a pre-existing source of amphihilic compounds capable of assembling into membranous compartments. It is possible to make informed guesses about the properties of such compounds and the conditions most conducive to their self-assembly into boundary structures. The membranes were likely to incorporate mixtures of hydrocarbon derivatives between 10 and 20 carbons in length with carboxylate or hydroxyl head groups. Such compounds can be synthesized by chemical reactions and small amounts were almost certainly present in the prebiotic environment. Membrane assembly occurs most readily in low ionic strength solutions with minimal content of salt and divalent cations, which suggests that cellular life began in fresh water pools associated with volcanic islands rather than submarine hydrothermal vents.

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Hydrothermal Conditions and the Origin of Cellular Life

Cited by 73 publications

References 38 publications

Hydrodynamic accumulation of small molecules and ions into cell-sized liposomes against a concentration gradient

Hydrodynamic accumulation of small molecules and ions into cell-sized liposomes against a concentration gradient

Organization of Nucleotides in Different Environments and the Formation of Pre-Polymers

The Role of Lipid Membranes in Life’s Origin

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