原始的纯素生物合成将古老的地球化学与现代的新陈代谢联系起来
Joshua E Goldford1,2,3, Harrison B Smith4,5, Liam M Longo4,5
1Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA. goldford@caltech.edu.
Nature ecology & evolution
|March 23, 2024
概括
研究人员模拟了新陈代谢的演变,从地化学前体到现代生物化学的途径. 这项研究揭示了早期的酶和非自催化剂是如何促进新陈代谢扩张的,为生命起源提供了洞察力.
科学领域:
- 生物化学 生物化学
- 进化生物学 进化生物学
- 天体生物学 天体生物学
背景情况:
- 生命的起源和从地化学前体的早期生物圈代谢的重建仍然是重要的科学挑战.
- 了解核心生化路径的进化轨迹对于破译生命起源至关重要.
研究的目的:
- 确定从地化学前体到大多数现代生物圈分子的可行,连续的代谢途径.
- 用已知的生化反应和原始的共酶模型模拟生物圈规模代谢的演变.
主要方法:
- 使用已确定的生化反应模拟代谢演变.
- 模拟原始的辅酶及其在代谢扩张中的作用.
- 在早期代谢阶段对酶特性 (金属依赖性,对称性) 的分析.
主要成果:
- purin 合成被确定为一个瓶,通过非自催化酸合剂来缓解.
- 早期的代谢进化有利于金属依赖和结构对称的酶.
- 模拟的轨迹表明甲代谢和氧光合作用的晚期出现,与地质数据保持一致.
结论:
- 模拟的代谢轨迹为核心生物化学提供了可信的进化历史.
- 这些发现支持早期生物化学进化的模型,并提供有关代谢途径发展的节奏,模式和时间的可测试假设.
- 生物模拟和地质记录之间的一致性强化了生命生物化学的进化路径.
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