One of the most profound mysteries facing science is exactly how life originated from inanimate matter. Scientists have now identified a specific peptide that could give life a boost – and it could all be Nickelback’s fault.
The first living things seem to have appeared quite early after the earth itself was born, but how? At some point, non-living matter must have begun to perform biological functions, and how Knowing what happened will be one of the most important breakthroughs in the history of science.
In recent years, scientists have begun to stack up the building blocks of life by conducting artificial evolutionary experiments and cooking primordial soups to explore the kinds of chemical reactions that may have occurred on early Earth. . In a new study, researchers at Rutgers University and New York City College worked backwards from current biology to find a possible starting point.
“Scientists believe there was a tipping point somewhere between 3.5 and 3.8 billion years ago. It’s something that initiates change in the world,” said Vikas Nanda, the study’s corresponding author. “We believe that this change was caused by some small precursor proteins that perform key steps in ancient metabolic reactions. And he believes he discovered one of these ‘pioneer peptides’.” increase. “
The researchers reasoned that potential precursors should be active enough to drive biochemical processes, but remain simple enough to assemble naturally in primordial soups. So, in order to find suitable candidates, the team pares down modern metabolic proteins to their most basic structures.
After much experimentation, one particularly promising candidate emerged. It is a peptide composed of only 13 amino acids that binds two nickel ions to its backbone. That is why scientists have nicknamed this molecule “Nickelback”.
This peptide seems to fit the bill on all counts, the team says. Very chemically active – nickel ions act as powerful catalysts for the production of hydrogen gas, which has been a key energy source for metabolic processes.
Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Nickelback is specifically responsible for all life on Earth, but it may help us understand its key transitions. It could also lead to new biosignatures that can be used to search for life on planets.
“This is important because while there are many theories about the origin of life, there are very few actual laboratory tests of these ideas,” Nanda said. “This work shows that simple protein-metabolizing enzymes are not only possible, but that they are remarkably stable and highly active, providing a plausible starting point for life.”
A study was published in a journal scientific progress.
Source: Rutgers University
