Mineral Facilitated Horizontal Gene Transfer: A New Principle for Evolution of Life?

Sand, Karina K.; Jelavić, Stanislav

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.02217

Cited by 24 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 92 publications

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“…Hematite (Fe 3+ ) played a relevant role in the early stage of the oxidizing atmosphere because it precipitated from the upper part of oceans due to its lower solubility compared with Fe 2+ . 17 Although it has been proposed that iron was part of the pioneer organism, it is fundamental to know the structure adopted by that first cell in the presence of iron in the atmospheric conditions prevailing in the Precambrian era. To answer this and other questions, it is indispensable to have a model that will allow extrapolating the first chemical structures of the pioneer organism formed in the Precambrian.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One explanation is that the oxidation of Fe during meteorization and diagenesis requires a lower exchange of redox equivalents with respect to the biological mechanisms mediated by Ca and S . The second explanation is that it is possible that in the atmospheric conditions of the Precambrian era, the iron oxides contained in the sediments were formed as rocks, which favored that the first organism is formed in this type of rocks. , The third explanation is based on the Precambrian lutites formed by pyrite crystals (FeS 2 ); this information indicates that Fe 2+ and sulfide ions were abundant in the seas of that era, which gave rise to the formation of lutites. Interestingly, as a step before the formation of pyrite crystals, the sulfide iron had been produced by the first sulfate-reducing bacteria.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The iron existing in the Precambrian, in a reducing atmosphere and being part of the first organism, became pyrite (FeS 2 ) with O 2 -producing hematite (Fe 2 O 3 ) and gypsum (CaSO 4 .2H 2 O) once the environment changed to an oxidizing atmosphere. Hematite (Fe 3+ ) played a relevant role in the early stage of the oxidizing atmosphere because it precipitated from the upper part of oceans due to its lower solubility compared with Fe 2+ . Although it has been proposed that iron was part of the pioneer organism, it is fundamental to know the structure adopted by that first cell in the presence of iron in the atmospheric conditions prevailing in the Precambrian era.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Silica-Carbonate of Ba(II) and Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ Complex as Study Models to Understand Prebiotic Chemistry

Islas

Cuéllar‐Cruz

2021

ACS Omega

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The Precambrian era is called the first stage of the Earth history and is considered the longest stage in the geological time scale. Despite its duration, several of its environmental and chemical characteristics are still being studied. It is an era of special relevance not only for its duration but also because it is when a set of conditions gave rise to the first organism. This pioneer organism has been proposed to have been formed by a mineral and an organic part. A chemical element suggested to have been part of the structure of this cell is iron. However, what special characteristic does iron have with respect to other chemical elements to be proposed as part of this first cell? To answer this and other questions, it is indispensable to have a model that will allow extrapolating the first chemical structures of the pioneer organism formed in the Precambrian. In this context, for several decades, in vitro structures chemically formed by silica-carbonates have been synthetized, called biomorphs, because they could emulate living organisms and might resemble primitive organisms. It has been inferred that because biomorphs form structures with characteristic morphologies, they could resemble the microfossils found in the cherts of the Precambrian. Aiming at providing some insight on how iron contributed to the formation of the chemical structures of the primitive organism, we evaluated how iron contributes to the morphology and chemical–crystalline structure during the synthesis of these compounds under different conditions found in the primitive atmosphere. Experimentally, synthesis of biomorphs was performed at four different atmospheric conditions including UV light, nonionizing microwave radiation (NIR-mw), water steam (WS), and CO 2 in the presence of Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ , and Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ , obtaining 48 different conditions. The produced biomorphs were observed under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Afterward, their chemical composition and crystalline structure were analyzed through Raman and IR spectroscopy.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Silica-Carbonate of Ba(II) and Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ Complex as Study Models to Understand Prebiotic Chemistry

Islas

Cuéllar‐Cruz

2021

ACS Omega

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“…More importantly for the transfer of biological information is the fact that DNA associated with silica is available for incorporation into organisms different from those where DNA originated through the process of horizontal gene transfer. The complex silica-DNA holds the potential for successfully transferring genetic material across environments and timescales to distant organisms up to the point that it has been hypothesizes that this process has significantly influenced the evolution of life on Earth (75). Interestingly, Equisetum is considered a “living fossil”, since it is the only living genus of the entire subclass Equisetidae, a class that was widely represented in the late Paleozoic forests and survived the largest extinction event in the history of Earth, the Permian-Triassic extinction event.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental evidence for the role of natural radioactivity in influencing viability of commensal microorganisms

Ruggiero¹

2020

Preprint

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The role of natural radioactivity in influencing viability of commensal microorganisms, with particular reference to those pertaining to the human microbiota, has not been investigated in detail. The results of experiments culturing a diversified array of microorganims - probiotics - in naturally radioactive mineral water or deuterium-depleted water are here described. Culturing microorganisms in naturally radioactive mineral water yielded one order of magnitude more live microbial cells in comparison with culturing in deuterium-depleted water. Based on these experimental results, a method for co-culturing prebiotic microorganisms (cyanobacteria) that are extremely resistant to the harmful effects of radiations, together with the probiotics mentioned above, is described. The goal of this co-culture in naturally radioactive mineral water is to transfer the information from the radiation-resistant microorganisms to the probiotics whose viability is enhanced by natural radioactivity. Expression of DNA repair genes in cyanobacteria is induced by co-culturing in a medium of carbonated mineral water naturally containing the radioactive isotopes 228U and 226Ra. The culture medium, in addition to naturally radioactive water, contains silica from vegetal origin to enhance horizontal gene transfer. Finally, it is described the transfer of resistance to the harmful effects of radiations to human cells through a Lactococcus phage-encoded protein, ORF252, that is the evolutionary precursor of human proteins involved in DNA repair and cancer protection.

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“…In addition, DNA associated with silica is available for incorporation into organisms different from those where DNA originated through the process of horizontal gene transfer. The complex silica-DNA holds the potential for transferring genetic material across environments and timescales to distant organisms up to the point that it has been hypothesizes that this process has significantly influenced the evolution of life on Earth (Sand and Jelavić, 2018). Interestingly, Equisetum is considered a "living fossil", since it is the only living genus of the entire subclass Equisetidae, a class that was widely represented in the late Paleozoic forests and survived the largest extinction event in the history of Earth, the Permian-Triassic extinction event.…”

Section: Rationale For the Use Of Equisetum Arvensementioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Evidence for the Role of Natural Radioactivity in Influencing Viability of Commensal Microorganisms

Ruggiero¹

2021

American Journal of Immunology

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To investigate the feasibility of culturing edible microbes, classified as probiotics for human consumption, in commercially available, naturally radioactive, mineral water; to compare their viability with that of the same microbes cultured in deuterium-depleted water. A diversified array of probiotics was cultured in two different naturally radioactive mineral waters, or in deuterium-depleted water in order to assess the effects of different culture conditions on microbial viability. Prebiotic microbes for human consumption (cyanobacteria) that are extremely resistant to radiations, were cultured together with the probiotics in a naturally radioactive carbonated mineral water containing silica from vegetal origin introduced to enhance horizontal gene transfer. This co-culture had the goal of transferring radiation resistance from the cyanobacteria to the probiotics. The experiments and the observations described in this study were conducted from April 2020 until March 2021. Culturing microbes in naturally radioactive mineral water yielded one order of magnitude more live microbial cells in comparison with culturing in deuterium-depleted water. In silico observations suggest that expression of DNA repair genes in cyanobacteria is induced by co-culturing conditions in a medium of carbonated mineral water naturally containing the radioactive isotopes 228 U and 226 Ra. The results presented in this study lay the foundation for the development of a novel approach to protection against electromagnetic fields comprising ionizing and non-ionizing radiations. In silico observations and preliminary results on subjects exposed to common electromagnetic fields under real-life conditions, support the hypothesis that co-cultures of radiation-resistant cyanobacteria and probiotics in naturally radioactive, carbonated mineral water may confer protection against the harmful effects of electromagnetic fields.

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Mineral Facilitated Horizontal Gene Transfer: A New Principle for Evolution of Life?

Cited by 24 publications

References 92 publications

Silica-Carbonate of Ba(II) and Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ Complex as Study Models to Understand Prebiotic Chemistry

Silica-Carbonate of Ba(II) and Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ Complex as Study Models to Understand Prebiotic Chemistry

Experimental evidence for the role of natural radioactivity in influencing viability of commensal microorganisms

Experimental Evidence for the Role of Natural Radioactivity in Influencing Viability of Commensal Microorganisms

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Mineral Facilitated Horizontal Gene Transfer: A New Principle for Evolution of Life?

Cited by 24 publications

References 92 publications

Silica-Carbonate of Ba(II) and Fe2+/Fe3+ Complex as Study Models to Understand Prebiotic Chemistry

Silica-Carbonate of Ba(II) and Fe2+/Fe3+ Complex as Study Models to Understand Prebiotic Chemistry

Experimental evidence for the role of natural radioactivity in influencing viability of commensal microorganisms

Experimental Evidence for the Role of Natural Radioactivity in Influencing Viability of Commensal Microorganisms

Contact Info

Product

Resources

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Silica-Carbonate of Ba(II) and Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ Complex as Study Models to Understand Prebiotic Chemistry

Silica-Carbonate of Ba(II) and Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ Complex as Study Models to Understand Prebiotic Chemistry