Prebiotic Synthesis of ATP: A Terrestrial Volcanism-Dependent Pathway

Chu, Xin-Yi; Zhang, Hongyu

doi:10.3390/life13030731

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 98 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Primordial life scavenging phosphate from alternative environmental sources, including from the alternative phosphate-containing compounds discussed here, could have synthesized phosphorylated energy currencies, including ATP, through simpler, proto-metabolic systems. There also exists the possibility that phosphorylated nucleotides were being produced abiotically on the ancient Earth ( Pasek et al, 2017 ; Chu and Zhang, 2023 ; Guo et al, 2023 ), thereafter providing the energetic impetus for life during a potentially heterotrophic origin. However, if any such alternative ATP-based metabolic systems existed that did not require chemiosmotic ATP synthases or SLP pathways, it would appear that no such ancestors of these systems remain today.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, if any such alternative ATP-based metabolic systems existed that did not require chemiosmotic ATP synthases or SLP pathways, it would appear that no such ancestors of these systems remain today. The abiotic synthesis of phosphorylated nucleotides is also generally considered complex, predicated on the existence of niche environments and non-aquatic solvents that may or may not have been present on the early Earth ( Chu and Zhang, 2023 ). Therefore, the possibility of precursors to ATP existing in primordial biochemistry appears worth considering and may help solve the coupled problems of primordial energy metabolism on a phosphate limited ancient Earth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

On the potential roles of phosphorus in the early evolution of energy metabolism

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Energy metabolism in extant life is centered around phosphate and the energy-dense phosphoanhydride bonds of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a deeply conserved and ancient bioenergetic system. Yet, ATP synthesis relies on numerous complex enzymes and has an autocatalytic requirement for ATP itself. This implies the existence of evolutionarily simpler bioenergetic pathways and potentially primordial alternatives to ATP. The centrality of phosphate in modern bioenergetics, coupled with the energetic properties of phosphorylated compounds, may suggest that primordial precursors to ATP also utilized phosphate in compounds such as pyrophosphate, acetyl phosphate and polyphosphate. However, bioavailable phosphate may have been notably scarce on the early Earth, raising doubts about the roles that phosphorylated molecules might have played in the early evolution of life. A largely overlooked phosphorus redox cycle on the ancient Earth might have provided phosphorus and energy, with reduced phosphorus compounds potentially playing a key role in the early evolution of energy metabolism. Here, we speculate on the biological phosphorus compounds that may have acted as primordial energy currencies, sources of environmental energy, or sources of phosphorus for the synthesis of phosphorylated energy currencies. This review encompasses discussions on the evolutionary history of modern bioenergetics, and specifically those pathways with primordial relevance, and the geochemistry of bioavailable phosphorus on the ancient Earth. We highlight the importance of phosphorus, not only in the form of phosphate, to early biology and suggest future directions of study that may improve our understanding of the early evolution of bioenergetics.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the potential roles of phosphorus in the early evolution of energy metabolism

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Vossen et al 2021;Cimarelli and Genareau 2022;Vossen et al 2022]. However, VL is also a phenomenon that has likely accompanied the Earth since its earliest beginnings and might have played a crucial role in the occurrence of the first organic molecules [Bada 2004;Navarro-González and Segura 2004;Bada 2023], synthesis of ATP components [Chu and Zhang 2023], and phosphorus reduction [e.g. Hess et al 2021;Çalışkanoğlu et al 2023].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

gas-tight shock tube apparatus for laboratory volcanic lightning under varying atmospheric conditions

Springsklee,

Scheu,

Seifert

et al. 2023

Volcanica

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Explosive volcanic eruptions generate electrical discharges, a phenomenon termed volcanic lightning (VL). VL is increasingly well-investigated and monitored for modern eruptions, however volcanism has been active since Earth’s origin. Thus, investigating VL under different atmospheric conditions is relevant for studies of early atmospheric chemistry and potential prebiotic reactions. We developed an experimental setup to investigate VL in varying atmospheres. We present the first experiments of laboratory discharges in particle-laden jets in varying atmospheric conditions. The new experimental setup is a mobile fragmentation bomb erupting into a gas-tight particle collector tank. This setup enables the testing of different atmospheric conditions, changes in the carrier gas of the jet, changes in the pressure within the tank, monitoring of the jet behaviour, and sampling of the atmosphere together with the decompressed solid materials. We find that the number and magnitude of near-vent electrical discharge events are similar in CO2-CO and air atmospheres.

show abstract

“…It is hypothesized that prebiotic synthesis of ATP is chemically favourable in aqueous solution in prebiotic conditions and thus led to the universal conservation of this molecule as a source of energy ( 18 ). Alternatively, a recent review paper has expertly discussed the relevant molecules needed to synthesise ATP and have postulated that the prebiotic synthesis of ATP could have been volcanism-dependent and became a direct energy source as enzyme-catalysed reactions replace abiotic ones ( 19 ). Yet, while acknowledging other nucleoside triphosphates and their contribution to normal physiological function, ATP is utilised as the main energy source of mammalian cells and will be focus of this review.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%