RETRACTED ARTICLE: Generation of long-chain fatty acids by hydrogen-driven bicarbonate reduction in ancient alkaline hydrothermal vents
Abstract The origin of life required membrane-bound compartments to allow the separation and concentration of internal biochemistry from the external environment and establish energy-harnessing ion gradients. Long-chain amphiphilic molecules, such as fatty acids, appear strong candidates to have for...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01196-4 |
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| _version_ | 1849331635377405952 |
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| author | Graham Purvis Lidija Šiller Archie Crosskey Jupiter Vincent Corinne Wills Jake Sheriff Cijo Xavier Jon Telling |
| author_facet | Graham Purvis Lidija Šiller Archie Crosskey Jupiter Vincent Corinne Wills Jake Sheriff Cijo Xavier Jon Telling |
| author_sort | Graham Purvis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The origin of life required membrane-bound compartments to allow the separation and concentration of internal biochemistry from the external environment and establish energy-harnessing ion gradients. Long-chain amphiphilic molecules, such as fatty acids, appear strong candidates to have formed the first cell membranes although how they were first generated remains unclear. Here we show that the reaction of dissolved hydrogen and bicarbonate with the iron-rich mineral magnetite under conditions of continuous flow, alkaline pH and relatively low temperatures (90 °C) generate a range of functionalised long-chain aliphatic compounds, including mixed fatty acids up to 18 carbon atoms in length. Readily generated membrane-forming amphiphilic organic molecules in the first cellular life may have been driven by similar chemistry generated from the mixing of bicarbonate-rich water (equilibrated with a carbon dioxide-enriched atmosphere) with alkaline hydrogen-rich fluids fed by the serpentinisation of the Earth’s iron-rich early crust. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4470097321bc4da8ac92da701d833fe0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-4470097321bc4da8ac92da701d833fe02025-08-20T03:46:28ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352024-01-01511910.1038/s43247-023-01196-4RETRACTED ARTICLE: Generation of long-chain fatty acids by hydrogen-driven bicarbonate reduction in ancient alkaline hydrothermal ventsGraham Purvis0Lidija Šiller1Archie Crosskey2Jupiter Vincent3Corinne Wills4Jake Sheriff5Cijo Xavier6Jon Telling7School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle UniversityNEXUS, School of Engineering, Newcastle UniversitySchool of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle UniversitySchool of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle UniversitySchool of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle UniversityNEXUS, School of Engineering, Newcastle UniversitySchool of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle UniversitySchool of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle UniversityAbstract The origin of life required membrane-bound compartments to allow the separation and concentration of internal biochemistry from the external environment and establish energy-harnessing ion gradients. Long-chain amphiphilic molecules, such as fatty acids, appear strong candidates to have formed the first cell membranes although how they were first generated remains unclear. Here we show that the reaction of dissolved hydrogen and bicarbonate with the iron-rich mineral magnetite under conditions of continuous flow, alkaline pH and relatively low temperatures (90 °C) generate a range of functionalised long-chain aliphatic compounds, including mixed fatty acids up to 18 carbon atoms in length. Readily generated membrane-forming amphiphilic organic molecules in the first cellular life may have been driven by similar chemistry generated from the mixing of bicarbonate-rich water (equilibrated with a carbon dioxide-enriched atmosphere) with alkaline hydrogen-rich fluids fed by the serpentinisation of the Earth’s iron-rich early crust.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01196-4 |
| spellingShingle | Graham Purvis Lidija Šiller Archie Crosskey Jupiter Vincent Corinne Wills Jake Sheriff Cijo Xavier Jon Telling RETRACTED ARTICLE: Generation of long-chain fatty acids by hydrogen-driven bicarbonate reduction in ancient alkaline hydrothermal vents Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | RETRACTED ARTICLE: Generation of long-chain fatty acids by hydrogen-driven bicarbonate reduction in ancient alkaline hydrothermal vents |
| title_full | RETRACTED ARTICLE: Generation of long-chain fatty acids by hydrogen-driven bicarbonate reduction in ancient alkaline hydrothermal vents |
| title_fullStr | RETRACTED ARTICLE: Generation of long-chain fatty acids by hydrogen-driven bicarbonate reduction in ancient alkaline hydrothermal vents |
| title_full_unstemmed | RETRACTED ARTICLE: Generation of long-chain fatty acids by hydrogen-driven bicarbonate reduction in ancient alkaline hydrothermal vents |
| title_short | RETRACTED ARTICLE: Generation of long-chain fatty acids by hydrogen-driven bicarbonate reduction in ancient alkaline hydrothermal vents |
| title_sort | retracted article generation of long chain fatty acids by hydrogen driven bicarbonate reduction in ancient alkaline hydrothermal vents |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-01196-4 |
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