Hydrothermal vents and prebiotic chemistry: a review

Colín-García, Marìa; Heredia, Alejandro; Cordero, G.; Camprubí, Antoni; Negrón‐Mendoza, A.; Ortega-Gutiérrez, Fernando; Beraldi, Hugo; Ramos-Bernal, S.

doi:10.18268/bsgm2016v68n3a13

Cited by 53 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…The processes responsible for the production and alteration of amino acids has long been a topic of interest at deep-sea hydrothermal vents (see review by Colín-Garcia et al, 2016).…”

Section: Vitamins and Amino Acids In Hydrothermal Fluidsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dissolved organic carbon compounds in deep-sea hydrothermal vent fluids from the East Pacific Rise at 9°50′N

Longnecker

Sievert

Sylva

et al. 2018

Organic Geochemistry

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Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are unique ecosystems that may release chemically distinct dissolved organic matter to the deep ocean. Here, we describe the composition and concentrations of polar dissolved organic compounds observed in low and high temperature hydrothermal vent fluids at 9°50'N on the East Pacific Rise. The concentration of dissolved organic carbon was 46 µM in the low temperature hydrothermal fluids and 14 µM in the high temperature hydrothermal fluids. In the low temperature vent fluids, quantifiable dissolved organic compounds were dominated by water-soluble vitamins and amino acids. Derivatives of benzoic acid and the organic sulfur compound 2,3-dihydroxypropane-1-sulfonate (DHPS) were also present in low and high temperature hydrothermal fluids. The low temperature vent fluids contain organic compounds that are central to biological processes, suggesting that they are a byproduct of biological activity in the subseafloor. These compounds may fuel heterotrophic and other metabolic processes at deep-sea hydrothermal vents and beyond.

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“…The processes responsible for the production and alteration of amino acids has long been a topic of interest at deep-sea hydrothermal vents (see review by Colín-Garcia et al, 2016).…”

Section: Vitamins and Amino Acids In Hydrothermal Fluidsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dissolved organic carbon compounds in deep-sea hydrothermal vent fluids from the East Pacific Rise at 9°50′N

Longnecker

Sievert

Sylva

et al. 2018

Organic Geochemistry

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“…Since their discovery, deep‐sea vents these vents have been suggested as the cradle of life. These vents, whose color depends on the compounds dispersed in the water, contain minerals with high levels of iron, manganese, copper, and zinc (black smokers) or barium, calcium, and silicon) white smokers) . Several of these minerals have a high surface area‐to‐volume ratio and provide potential sites for enzyme‐like heterogeneous catalysis .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Step into the Future: Applications of Nanoparticle Enzyme Mimics

Korschelt

Tahir

Tremel

2018

Chemistry A European J

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We describe elementary concepts, up-to-date developments, and perspectives of the emerging field of nanoparticle enzyme mimics (so-called "nanozymes") at the interface of chemistry, biology, materials, and nanotechnology. The design and synthesis of functional enzyme mimics is a long-standing goal of biomimetic chemistry. Metal complexes, polymers and engineered biomolecules capturing the structure of natural enzymes or their active centers have been made to achieve high rates and enhanced selectivities. Still, the design of new "artificial enzymes" that are not related to proteins but with capacity of production and stability at industrial level, remains a goal. Inorganic nanoparticles bear this potential. Although it seems counterintuitive to compare nanoparticles and natural enzymes because they appear very different they share many common features: nano-size, irregular shape, and rich surface chemistry. These features enable nanomaterials to mimic reactions of natural enzymes. Representative examples with biomedical and environmental applications are given.

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“…This is not an arbitrary choice; rather, we chose COS for two reasons, the first being the very strong infrared absorption of one of the three fundamental vibrations, at 2079 cm −1 [6,7], and the consequential strong emission [8] of importance for the catalytic process; the other reason is the appearance of COS in volcanic eruptions [9], which in turn gave the catalyst a load of energy from the start.…”

Section: Of 12mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Transformation by Catalysis of Prebiotic Chemical Systems to Useful Biochemicals: A Perspective Based on IR Spectroscopy of the Primary Chemicals: I. The Synthesis of Peptides by the Condensation of Amino Acids

Larsson

Malek²

2020

Applied Sciences

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It is now widely speculated that life originated at the “Black Smokers” of the undersea hydrothermal vents, where conditions exist for the formation of the primary ingredients and their subsequent transformation to higher biotic species such as amino acids, alcohols, etc. Any possible routes for the prebiotic oligomerization of simple compounds like amino acids, necessary for cell formation, has so far not been well understood. However, Leman et al. recently reported that under standard laboratory conditions carbonyl sulfide (COS) can “mediate” the oligomerization of simple amino acids in moderate yield. COS being a well-known volcanic gas points to its possible role in prebiotic peptide formation in the environment of the hydrothermal vents. Based on a previously developed and tested model for selective (vibrational) energy transfer (SET), we show that a COS-catalyzed condensation of α-amino-acids can lead to the formation of polypeptides. We also indicate that other agents can act as catalysts of the amino acid condensation, such as Fe(CN)63− and cyanamide (H2N-CN). This is related to the existence of vibrations with a frequency near to that of the critical vibration of the reactant, ρw (NH2). This wagging vibration occurs at 1048 ± 10 cm−1 (the mean value of Cu and Ni complexes) and, as the vibration of the presumed catalyst lies at 2079 cm−1, one notes that one quantum of the catalyst equals two quanta of the NH2 wagging: 2079/2 × 1048 = 0.9919. This is a good indication of a resonance.

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Hydrothermal vents and prebiotic chemistry: a review

Cited by 53 publications

References 68 publications

Dissolved organic carbon compounds in deep-sea hydrothermal vent fluids from the East Pacific Rise at 9°50′N

Dissolved organic carbon compounds in deep-sea hydrothermal vent fluids from the East Pacific Rise at 9°50′N

A Step into the Future: Applications of Nanoparticle Enzyme Mimics

The Transformation by Catalysis of Prebiotic Chemical Systems to Useful Biochemicals: A Perspective Based on IR Spectroscopy of the Primary Chemicals: I. The Synthesis of Peptides by the Condensation of Amino Acids

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