| Autor: |
Poddar A; Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, 600 First Ave, Floor 1, Seattle, Washington 98104, United States.; Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology (PiE-UPV/EHU), University of the Basque Country, Areatza Pasealekua, 48620 Plentzia Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain., Satthiyasilan N; Space Science Center (ANGKASA), Institute of Climate Change, National University of Malaysia, Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia., Wang PH; Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Central University, No. 300, Zhongda Rd., Zhongli District, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan (Republic of China).; Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, No. 300, Zhongda Rd., Zhongli District, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan (R.O.C.)., Chen C; Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan.; Biofunctional Catalyst Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan., Yi R; State Key Laboratory of Isotope Geochemistry and Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China., Chandru K; Space Science Center (ANGKASA), Institute of Climate Change, National University of Malaysia, Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia.; Polymer Research Center (PORCE), Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia, Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia., Jia TZ; Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, 600 First Ave, Floor 1, Seattle, Washington 98104, United States.; Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan. |
| Abstrakt: |
ConspectusAll life on Earth is composed of cells, which are built from and run by biological reactions and structures. These reactions and structures are generally the result of action by cellular biomolecules, which are indispensable for the function and survival of all living organisms. Specifically, biological catalysis, namely by protein enzymes, but also by other biomolecules including nucleic acids, is an essential component of life. How the biomolecules themselves that perform biological catalysis came to exist in the first place is a major unanswered question that plagues researchers to this day, which is generally the focus of the origins of life (OoL) research field. Based on current knowledge, it is generally postulated that early Earth was full of a myriad of different chemicals, and that these chemicals reacted in specific ways that led to the emergence of biochemistry, cells, and later, life. In particular, a significant part of OoL research focuses on the synthesis, evolution, and function of biomolecules potentially present under early Earth conditions, as a way to understand their eventual transition into modern life. However, this narrative overlooks possibilities that other molecules contributed to the OoL, as while biomolecules that led to life were certainly present on early Earth, at the same time, other molecules that may not have strict, direct biological lineage were also widely and abundantly present. For example, hydroxy acids, although playing a role in metabolism or as parts of certain biological structures, are not generally considered to be as essential to modern biology as amino acids (a chemically similar monomer), and thus research in the OoL field tends to perhaps focus more on amino acids than hydroxy acids. However, their likely abundance on early Earth coupled with their ability to spontaneously condense into polymers (i.e., polyesters) make hydroxy acids, and their subsequent products, functions, and reactions, a reasonable target of investigation for prebiotic chemists. Whether "non-biological" hydroxy acids or polyesters can contribute to the emergence of life on early Earth is an inquiry that deserves attention within the OoL community, as this knowledge can also contribute to our understanding of the plausibility of extraterrestrial life that does not exactly use the biochemical set found in terrestrial organisms. While some demonstrations have been made with respect to compartment assembly, compartmentalization, and growth of primitive polyester-based systems, whether these "non-biological" polymers can contribute any catalytic function and/or drive primitive reactions is still an important step toward the development of early life. Here, we review research both from the OoL field as well as from industry and applied sciences regarding potential catalysis or reaction driven by "non-biological" polyesters in various forms: as linear polymers, as hyperbranched polyesters, and as membraneless microdroplets. |
