Rapid hydrolysis rates of thio- and phosphate esters constrain the origin of metabolism to cool, acidic to neutral environments.

ABSTRACT: Universal to all life is a reliance on energy carriers such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which connect energy-releasing reactions to energy-consuming processes. While ATP is ubiquitously used today, simpler molecules such as thioesters and polyphosphates are hypothesized to be primordial energy carriers. Investigating environmental constraints on the non-enzymatic emergence of metabolism, we find that hydrolysis rates-not hydrolysis energies-differentiate phosphate esters and thioesters. At temperatures consistent with thermophilic microbes, thioesters are favored at acidic pH and phosphate esters at basic pH. Thioacids have a high stability across pH 5-10. The planetary availability of sulfur and phosphate is coincident with these calculations, with phosphate being abundant in alkaline

SUBMITTER: Sanden SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11530844 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature