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Early bioenergetic evolution.

Filipa L Sousa1, Thorsten Thiergart, Giddy Landan

  • 1Institute of Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|June 12, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study proposes a feasible pathway for life's origin, detailing how early cells harnessed chemical energy from inorganic settings like hydrothermal vents. It traces key bioenergetic transitions leading to the first cellular life forms.

Keywords:
acetogenshydrothermal ventsmethanogensorigin of lifesulfate reducerstransition metals

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Area of Science:

  • Astrobiology and Origin of Life Research
  • Biochemistry and Bioenergetics
  • Geochemistry and Early Earth Environments

Background:

  • Life is defined as the harnessing of chemical energy for self-replication.
  • Understanding the origin of life requires identifying energetically feasible pathways from inorganic matter to early cells.
  • Early bioenergetic mechanisms were crucial for the development of cellular life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To outline an energetically feasible path from inorganic settings to the first free-living cells.
  • To investigate the sources and conversion of energy for early organic synthesis and evolving systems.
  • To detail the key bioenergetic evolutionary transitions in early life.

Main Methods:

  • Focus on alkaline hydrothermal vents as the origin setting.
  • Examine the Wood-Ljungdahl (acetyl-CoA) pathway for carbon assimilation.
  • Analyze biochemical divergence within natural inorganic compartments.
  • Investigate early bioenergetic transitions including phosphorylation and gradient generation.

Main Results:

  • Alkaline hydrothermal vents provide a viable setting for the origin of life.
  • The Wood-Ljungdahl pathway is a plausible route for early carbon assimilation.
  • Four key bioenergetic transitions likely occurred at hydrothermal vents.
  • Early metabolism involved acetogenesis and methanogenesis.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed pathway offers an energetically feasible route from inorganic chemistry to early cellular life.
  • Hydrothermal vents played a critical role in early bioenergetic evolution.
  • The 'reduced iron → reduced carbon' reaction may represent the dawn of bioenergetic evolution.