
Origin-of-life chemists discover plausible ancestor of essential metabolic process used by most plants and animals A new study clarifies how a chemical engine of life' might have arisen from simple organic compounds on early Earth.
October 12, 2020
LA JOLLA, CA A team of chemists from Scripps Research, in collaboration with scientists at Furman University, has illuminated the origins of chemical reactions that most animals and plants depend upon to derive energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
The reaction cycle commonly referred to as the citric acid cycle, the TCA cycle or the Krebs cycle is, like DNA and the genetic code, one of the fundamental features of life on Earth. In addition to enabling oxygen-based energy production, it yields some of the crucial molecular building blocks that cells use to repair and replicate themselves.
The origin of this critical chemical engine of life, in reactions that must have been possible on Earth before life arose, has long been a mystery.
However, in their study, published in Nature Chemistry, the chemists found that with just two organic compounds that would have been present on prebiotic Earth, they could obtain a chain of reactions closely resembling a large part of the modern TCA cycle.
This sequence of prebiotic reactions could have set the stage for increasingly sophisticated pathways operating under the control of early life forms, says study co-senior author Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at Scripps Research.
Krishnamurthy and his lab collaborated on the study with Greg Springsteen, PhD, professor of chemistry at Furman University.
Determining the pre-life ancestor of the TCA cycle has been a challenge not just because of the largely unknowable state of the early Earth, but also because the TCA cycle depends on enzyme catalysts that greatly boost the speed of the reactions and tie different chains of reactions together in a self-sustaining cycle. Enzymes are proteins made in cells, whereas in the pre-biotic world, there were no cells and thus no enzymes to act as catalysts for reactions.
Other proposals for a plausible prebiotic ancestor of the TCA cycle have included charged iron atoms which can also act as reaction catalysts in the role now taken by enzymes. But Krishnamurthy and Springsteen argue that such iron atoms, in a pre-biotic context, would have been too reactive, ultimately destroying the very molecules the cycle was intended to produce.
The chemists showed that two relatively simple ketoacid organic compounds, glyoxylate and pyruvate, which already play a role in the TCA cycle and related metabolic cycles, can react in water at normal temperatures to yield a sequence of several other ketoacids closely resembling a portion of the modern TCA cycle. And, when oxidized by reactions with the simple chemical hydrogen peroxide, they yield a set of compounds that actually comprise part of the modern TCA cycle.
That part of the TCA cycle normally contributes to the production of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, which are the workhorse molecules of all cells.
Krishnamurthy and Springsteen demonstrated that under plausible conditions and in the presence of the simplest amino acid, glycine which is generally believed to have existed on Earth before life arose two of the ketoacids produced by their glyoxylate-pyruvate reactions can be converted into different amino acids.
The findings, therefore, at least hint at how a key part of the TCA cycle could have been available to early, rudimentary life forms even without enzymes or other catalysts.
The observation that a pathway with striking similarities to modern biology can progress in water using simple starting materials provides support to the idea that something like this could have been active at or near the origin of life, Springsteen says.
The researchers are continuing to investigate their new set of reactions as well as reactions that could explain the origins of other parts of the TCA cycle.
Besides Krishnamurthy and Springsteen, co-authors of the study, A Plausible Metal-Free Ancestral Analogue of the Krebs Cycle Composed Entirely of -Ketoacids, were Trent Stubbs of Furman University and Mahipal Yadav, PhD, of Scripps Research.
The research was supported by the Center for Chemical Evolution [CHE-1504217], a National Science Foundation NASA program, and by NASA [80NSSC18K1300].
Chemistry Krishnamurthy, Ramanarayanan
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...
12/03/2025
Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...
12/03/2025
12 Mar 2025
VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...
12/03/2025
Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...
12/03/2025
THE PLAYERS Championship 2025: AI Commentary, Shared-Reality Viewing at COSM, La...
12/03/2025
Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...