A Stark Contrast to Modern Earth: Phosphate Mineral Transformation and Nucleoside Phosphorylation in an Iron‐ and Cyanide‐Rich Early Earth Scenario. (4th October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Burcar, Bradley; Castañeda, Alma; Lago, Jennifer; Daniel, Mischael; Pasek, Matthew A.; Hud, Nicholas V.; Orlando, Thomas M.; Menor‐Salván, César
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie. Volume 131:Number 47(2019)
• Page Start: 17137
• Page End: 17143
• Publication Date: 2019-10-04
• Subjects: Cyanid -- Phosphatmineralien -- Phosphorylierung -- Präbiotische Chemie -- Ursprung des Lebens; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.201908272
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0044-8249

Abstract

Abstract: Organophosphates were likely an important class of prebiotic molecules. However, their presence on the early Earth is strongly debated because the low availability of phosphate, which is generally assumed to have been sequestered in insoluble calcium and iron minerals, is widely viewed as a major barrier to organophosphate generation. Herein, we demonstrate that cyanide (an essential prebiotic precursor) and urea‐based solvents could promote nucleoside phosphorylation by transforming insoluble phosphate minerals in a "warm little pond" scenario into more soluble and reactive species. Our results suggest that cyanide and its derivatives (metal cyanide complexes, urea, ammonium formate, and formamide) were key reagents for the participation of phosphorus in chemical evolution. These results allow us to propose a holistic scenario in which an evaporitic environment could concentrate abiotically formed organics and transform the underlying minerals, allowing significant organic phosphorylation under plausible prebiotic conditions. Abstract : Eisen und Cyanid : Cyanid könnte als geochemisches Reagens in der präbiotischen Phosphorylierung eine Rolle gespielt haben. Cyanid und seine Metallkomplexe können Phosphat aus unlöslichen Eisen‐ und Calcium‐Mineralien transformieren und herauslösen, was darauf hindeutet, dass auf der frühen Erde Phosphat mobiler und präbiotische Phosphorylierung einfacher war als bislang angenommen.