Miller and Urey applied electric sparks to a reducive mixture of CH4, NH3, and water to obtain a complex organic mixture including biomolecules.
origin of life
![Type II tRNA evolved via RNA ligation and a 9 nt internal deletion within ligated 3′- and 5′-acceptor stems [42]. Also, 3 31 nt minihelices (one D loop minihelix (magenta 17 nt core) and two anticodon stem-loop-stem minihelices (blue 17 nt core)) were fused by ligation for minihelix replication. The 93 nt tRNA precursor was processed by an internal 9 nt deletion (see below) within fused 3′-acceptor (yellow) and 5′-acceptor (green) stems. In the type II tRNA structure, the red arrow indicates the fusion of the magenta segment (17 nt D loop minihelix core; UAGCC repeat) and the green segment (5′-acceptor stem fragment; initially GGCGG). Abbreviations: SLS) stem-loop-stem; Ac) anticodon. Molecular graphics were created using ChimeraX [43]. -- Life](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/The331NucleotideMinihelix.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inGenomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
The 3 31 Nucleotide Minihelix tRNA Evolution Theorem and the Origin of Life
There are no theorems (proven theories) in the biological sciences. We propose that the 3 31 nt minihelix tRNA evolution theorem be universally accepted as one.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Status Report
Prebiotic Syntheses of Organophosphorus Compounds from Reduced Source of Phosphorus in Non-Aqueous Solvents
Reduced-oxidation-state phosphorus (reduced P, hereafter) compounds were likely available on the early Earth via meteorites or through various geologic processes.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Triplet-Encoded Prebiotic RNA Aminoacylation
The encoding step of translation involves attachment of amino acids to cognate tRNAs by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, themselves the product of coded peptide synthesis. So, the question arises─before these enzymes evolved, […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Moon, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
The Moon-Forming Impact and the Autotrophic Origin of Life
All ecosystems start with autotrophs, cells that convert CO2 to organics. In autotrophic theories for origins, life started from CO2. The Moon-forming impact supplied pure CO2 as the primordial biogenic […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Status Report
Xeno Amino Acids: A Look Into Biochemistry As We Don’t Know It
Would Another Origin Of Life Resemble Earth’s Biochemical Use Of Amino Acids? Here we review current knowledge at three levels:
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Coenzyme-Protein Interactions Since Early Life
Recent findings in protein evolution and peptide prebiotic plausibility have been setting the stage for reconsidering the role of peptides in the early stages of life’s origin.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Mineral-Mediated Oligoribonucleotide Condensation: Broadening the Scope of Prebiotic Possibilities on the Early Earth
The origin of life on earth requires the synthesis of protobiopolymers in realistic geologic environments along strictly abiotic pathways that rely on inorganic phases (such as minerals) instead of cellular […]
![(A) The proposed active complex proposed by Rode et al. (1990) for the SIPF reaction for a protonated and neutral alanine molecule [18]. (B) Another plausible SIPF active complex between two neutral alanine molecules in a cis configuration as proposed by Rimola et al. (2007) [20]. Here, cis refers to the relative position of the N (or equivalently O) atoms on the same side of the plane containing the Cu atom. In this figure, red denotes oxygen, blue denotes nitrogen, gray denotes carbon, light gray denotes hydrogen, orange denotes copper, and green denotes chlorine. -- Life](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/TheRoleOf.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
The Role of the CuCl Active Complex in the Stereoselectivity of the Salt-Induced Peptide Formation Reaction: Insights from Density Functional Theory Calculations
The salt-induced peptide formation (SIPF) reaction is a prebiotically plausible mechanism for the spontaneous polymerization of amino acids into peptides on early Earth.
![Biopolymer Solvent scoring. (A) Relationship between the fraction of the biopolymer compatible range and the liquid range of solvents and the average fractional efficiency for conversion of folding free energy to sequence information, for 54 solvents at 1 atm. Large black circle: water. Green circles: hydrocarbons. Magenta circles: small substances from C, H, O, N and S. Grey circles: other solvents in Table 1. Black line: range for water calculated from the uncertainty in the dynamic transition temperature presented in Figure 3 (values range from 180 to 230K). The grey lines indicate constant values of the BSscore (Equation [9]). (B) Ranking of the solvents according to the BSscore. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/solvent.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Solvent Constraints For Biopolymer Folding And Evolution In Extraterrestrial Environments
We propose that spontaneous folding and molecular evolution of biopolymers are two universal aspects that must concur for life to happen.