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Related Experiment Videos

A possible primordial peptide cycle.

Claudia Huber1, Wolfgang Eisenreich, Stefan Hecht

  • 1Department for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstrabetae 4, D-85747 Garching, Germany.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|August 16, 2003
PubMed
Summary
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Carbon monoxide (CO) drives peptide formation and degradation, creating a primordial metabolic cycle. This suggests a chemoautotrophic origin of life fueled by CO and iron-nickel sulfide minerals.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Astrobiology
  • Geochemistry

Background:

  • The origin of life likely involved simple organic molecules and catalytic minerals.
  • Carbon monoxide (CO) is a plausible prebiotic feedstock available on early Earth.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of CO and iron-nickel sulfide minerals in peptide formation and degradation.
  • To explore the potential for a CO-driven primordial metabolism.

Main Methods:

  • Experiments were conducted under hot aqueous conditions using colloidal (Fe,Ni)S.
  • Alpha-amino acids were subjected to CO activation and observed for peptide formation and degradation.

Main Results:

  • CO-driven peptide formation was observed, alongside CO-driven N-terminal peptide degradation.

Related Experiment Videos

  • A peptide cycle involving anabolic and catabolic segments was established.
  • The (Fe,Ni)S-dependent urea hydrolysis was identified as a potential precursor to urease.

    • Conclusions:

    • The findings support a chemoautotrophic origin of life theory.
    • A CO-driven, (Fe,Ni)S-dependent primordial metabolism is proposed.
    • The study highlights the significance of CO and mineral catalysts in early biochemical processes.