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岩石裂缝中的热流自然优化了核酶的盐组成
作者:小柯机器人 发布时间:2021/8/28 21:05:44

德国慕尼黑大学Mast, C. B.团队报道了岩石裂缝中的热流自然优化了核酶的盐组成。相关研究成果发表在2021年8月26日出版的《Nature Chemistry》。

催化核酸,如核酶,是多种生命起源设想的核心。通常,它们的折叠和活性需要较高的镁浓度,但其功能可被高浓度的单价盐抑制。

该文中,研究人员发现,从玄武岩(岩石和重熔玻璃)中提取的地质上合理的高钠低镁溶液抑制核酶催化,但这种活性可以通过岩石裂缝中的热流选择性地使镁浓度升高来挽救。与脱水或冷冻浓缩相比,该系统远未达到平衡,因此可以主动改变Mg:Na盐比,在其他具有挑战性的溶液条件下实现关键核酶活性,如自我复制和RNA延伸。

该研究中演示的原理适用于范围广泛的盐浓度和成分,因此与各种生命起源情景高度相关。

附:英文原文

Title: Heat flows in rock cracks naturally optimize salt compositions for ribozymes

Author: Matreux, T., LeVay, K., Schmid, A., Aikkila, P., Belohlavek, L., alkanolu, A. Z., Salibi, E., Khnlein, A., Springsklee, C., Scheu, B., Dingwell, D. B., Braun, D., Mutschler, H., Mast, C. B.

Issue&Volume: 2021-08-26

Abstract: Catalytic nucleic acids, such as ribozymes, are central to a variety of origin-of-life scenarios. Typically, they require elevated magnesium concentrations for folding and activity, but their function can be inhibited by high concentrations of monovalent salts. Here we show that geologically plausible high-sodium, low-magnesium solutions derived from leaching basalt (rock and remelted glass) inhibit ribozyme catalysis, but that this activity can be rescued by selective magnesium up-concentration by heat flow across rock fissures. In contrast to up-concentration by dehydration or freezing, this system is so far from equilibrium that it can actively alter the Mg:Na salt ratio to an extent that enables key ribozyme activities, such as self-replication and RNA extension, in otherwise challenging solution conditions. The principle demonstrated here is applicable to a broad range of salt concentrations and compositions, and, as such, highly relevant to various origin-of-life scenarios.

DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00772-5

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-021-00772-5

 

期刊信息

Nature Chemistry:《自然—化学》,创刊于2009年。隶属于施普林格·自然出版集团,最新IF:21.687
官方网址:https://www.nature.com/nchem/
投稿链接:https://mts-nchem.nature.com/cgi-bin/main.plex