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Abiotic Photosynthesis: From Prebiotic Chemistry to Metabolism

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Origins of Life: The Primal Self-Organization

Abstract

The basic concepts necessary to understand the origin of life are presented. The existing models conducting to the emergence of biochemistry from geochemistry on Earth are introduced. The chapter is focused on abiotic photosynthesis as a way to capture energy and generate the core of central metabolism. Universality in intermediate metabolism, mineral catalysis, hydrothermal vents, and the iron-sulfur proposals are discussed. Special emphasis is given to the model of non-enzymatic prebiotic metabolism that can potentially connect the RNA world and the compartmentalization in protocells approach. Catalysis in mineral surfaces is suggested as the main mechanism for the possible origin of the central metabolic pathways. Candidate semiconductor minerals such as zinc sulfide could have driven this prebiotic chemistry in the young planet. A shallow-water hydrothermal vent system is presented as a model environment where the first microorganisms on Earth used the suggested non-enzymatic chemical reactions as a pioneer mechanism for carbon dioxide fixation and energy storage that resulted in prebiotic metabolism.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    While viruses deserve further consideration, they are not considered to be alive in this chapter.

  2. 2.

    All modern eukaryotic photosynthesis is based on the contribution of prokaryote-derived endosymbionts, making in consequence the analysis of extant eukaryotes irrelevant to the origin of photosynthesis.

  3. 3.

    Homeostasis is defined here as a state of dynamic equilibrium that does not modify the identity of the physical system.

  4. 4.

    Anaplerosis is the act of replenishing TCA cycle intermediates that have been extracted for biosynthesis in cataplerotic reactions. Cataplerosis describes reactions involved in the disposal of TCA cycle intermediates.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506-0055, USA

    Marcelo I. Guzman

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  1. Marcelo I. Guzman
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Correspondence to Marcelo I. Guzman .

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  1. , Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen Biocenter, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, Copenhagen N, 2200, Denmark

    Richard Egel

  2. Hinterer Rindweg 21, Ladenburg, 68526, Germany

    Dirk-Henner Lankenau

  3. , School of Physics and School of Biology/, University of Osnabrueck, Barbarastrasse 7, Osnabrueck, 49076, Germany

    Armen Y. Mulkidjanian

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Guzman, M.I. (2011). Abiotic Photosynthesis: From Prebiotic Chemistry to Metabolism. In: Egel, R., Lankenau, DH., Mulkidjanian, A. (eds) Origins of Life: The Primal Self-Organization. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21625-1_4

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