Back in time to the Gly-rich prototype of the phosphate binding elementary function.

ABSTRACT: Binding of nucleotides and their derivatives is one of the most ancient elementary functions dating back to the Origin of Life. We review here the works considering one of the key elements in binding of (di)nucleotide-containing ligands - phosphate binding. We start from a brief discussion of major participants, conditions, and events in prebiotic evolution that resulted in the Origin of Life. Tracing back to the basic functions, including metal and phosphate binding, and, potentially, formation of primitive protein-protein interactions, we focus here on the phosphate binding. Critically assessing works on the structural, functional, and evolutionary aspects of phosphate binding, we perform a simple computational experiment reconstructing its most ancient and generic sequence prototype. Th

SUBMITTER: Zheng Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11035071 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature