Biogenesis

Individuals with 22q11.2 microdeletions show behavioral and cognitive deficits and are at high risk of developing schizophrenia. We analyzed an engineered mouse strain carrying a chromosomal deficiency spanning a segment syntenic to the human 22q11.2 locus. We uncovered a previously unknown alteration in the biogenesis of microRNAs (miRNAs) and identified a subset of brain miRNAs affected by the microdeletion. We provide evidence that the abnormal miRNA biogenesis emerges because of haploinsufficiency of the Dgcr8 gene, which encodes an RNA-binding moiety of the 'microprocessor' complex and contributes to the behavioral and neuronal deficits associated with the 22q11.2 microdeletion.

In the light of recent and controversial findings on spontaneous resolution of racemates and their implications in the origin of homochirality on earth, we present here a detailed review of this important topic. Although spontaneous resolution cannot at this moment be reliably predicted, there has also been considerable progress in crystal structure prediction and, not only thermodynamic factors, but also kinetic ones, play important roles in the efficiency of packing and crystallization. In addition, self-association and supramolecular control phenomena may be identified in cases where spontaneous resolution of enantiomers is actually occurring. While this contribution summarizes our current understanding of this intriguing phenomena, it is hoped that future work on crystalline conglomerates (or homochiral crystals) of prebiotic importance will be of further help to understand the general problem of terrestrial chirogenesis.

A series of shock experiments were conducted to assess the feasibility of the delivery of organic compounds to the Earth via cometary impacts. Aqueous solutions containing near-saturation levels of amino acids (lysine, norvaline, aminobutyric acid, proline, and phenylalanine) were sealed inside stainless steel capsules and shocked by ballistic impact with a steel projectile plate accelerated along a 12-m-long gun barrel to velocities of 0.5-1.9 km sec-1. Pressure-temperature-time histories of the shocked fluids were calculated using 1D hydrodynamical simulations. Maximum conditions experienced by the solutions lasted 0.85-2.7 microseconds and ranged from 5.1-21 GPa and 412-870 K. Recovered sample capsules were milled open and liquid was extracted. Samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS). In all experiments, a large fraction of the amino acids survived. We observed differences in kinetic behavior and the degree of survivabi...

In the light of recent and controversial findings on spontaneous resolution of racemates and their implications in the origin of homochirality on earth, we present here a detailed review of this important topic. Although spontaneous resolution cannot at this moment be reliably predicted, there has also been considerable progress in crystal structure prediction and, not only thermodynamic factors, but also kinetic ones, play important roles in the efficiency of packing and crystallization. In addition, self-association and supramolecular control phenomena may be identified in cases where spontaneous resolution of enantiomers is actually occurring. While this contribution summarizes our current understanding of this intriguing phenomena, it is hoped that future work on crystalline conglomerates (or homochiral crystals) of prebiotic importance will be of further help to understand the general problem of terrestrial chirogenesis.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, ideas related to the possible origin in space of bioorganic molecules, or seeds, or even germs and organisms (and how they reached the Earth) included the Panspermia theory. Based on the idea of the eternity of life proposed by eminent physicists - such as Arrhenius and Kelvin - 'Panspermia' is mainly divided into two branches: lithopanspermia (transport of germs inside stones traveling in space) and radiopanspermia (transport of spores by radiative pressure of stellar light). We point out some arguments to help to understand whether 'Panspermia' could exist nowadays as the same theory defined one century ago. And we wonder about the kind of evolution 'Panspermia' could have undergone during only a few decades. This possible evolution of the 'Panspermia' concept takes place in the framework of the emergence of a new field, Bioastronomy. We present how this discipline has emerged during a few decades and how it...

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, ideas related to the possible origin in space of bioorganic molecules, or seeds, or even germs and organisms (and how they reached the Earth) included the Panspermia theory. Based on the idea of the eternity of life proposed by eminent physicists - such as Arrhenius and Kelvin - 'Panspermia' is mainly divided into two branches: lithopanspermia (transport of germs inside stones traveling in space) and radiopanspermia (transport of spores by radiative pressure of stellar light). We point out some arguments to help to understand whether 'Panspermia' could exist nowadays as the same theory defined one century ago. And we wonder about the kind of evolution 'Panspermia' could have undergone during only a few decades. This possible evolution of the 'Panspermia' concept takes place in the framework of the emergence of a new field, Bioastronomy. We present how this discipline has emerged during a few decades and how it...

Two-step laser desorption/laser ionization mass spectrometry (μL2MS) was used to establish the nature and mass distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fragments of fifteen ‘giant’ (∼200 μm) carbonaceous Antarctic micrometeorites (AMMs). Detectable concentrations of PAHs were observed in all AMMs showing a fine-grained matrix. The range of integrated PAH signal intensities varied between samples by over two orders of magnitude. No evidence of contamination whilst in the Antarctic environment could be found. The dramatic variation of both PAH signal intensities and mass distributions between AMMs along with comprehensive contamination checks demonstrates that particles are not exposed to terrestrial PAHs at or above detection limits, either subsequent, during or prior to collection. Comparison of the observed PAH distributions with those measured in three carbonaceous chondrites [Orgueil (CI1), Murchison (CM2) and Allende (CV3)] under identical conditions demonstrated that marked differences exist in the trace organic composition of these two sources of extraterrestrial matter. In general, AMMs show a far richer distribution of unalkylated ‘parent’ PAHs with more extended alkylation series (replacement of -H with -(CH2)_-H; n = 1, 2, 3 ...). The degree of alkylation loosely correlates with a metamorphic index that represents the extent of frictional heating incurred during atmospheric entry. A search for possible effects of the chemical composition of the fine-grain matrix of host particles on the observed PAH distributions reveals that high degrees of alkylation are associated with high Na/Si ratios. These results, in addition to other observations by Maurette, indicate that ‘giant’ micrometeorites survive hypervelocity (≥11 km s_1) atmospheric entry unexpectedly well. Because such micrometeorites are believed to represent the dominant mass fraction of extraterrestrial material accreted by the Earth, they may have played a significant role in the prebiotic chemical evolution of the early Earth through the delivery of complex organic matter to the surface of the planet.

The potential of life's origin in submarine hydrothermal systems has been evaluated by a number of investigators by conducting high temperature-high pressure experiments involving organic compounds. In the majority of these experiments little attention has been paid to the importance of constraining important parameters, such as the pH and the redox state of the system. This is particularly revealed in the apparent difficulties in interpreting experimental data from hydrothermal organic synthesis and stability studies. However, in those cases where common mineral assemblages have been used in an attempt to buffer the pH and redox conditions to geologically and geochemically realistic values, theoretical and experimental data seem to converge. The use of mineral buffer assemblages provides a convenient way by which to constrain the experimental conditions. Studies at high temperatures and pressure in the laboratory have revealed a number of reactions that proceed rapidly in hydrothermal fluids, including the Strecker synthesis of amino acids. In other cases, the verification of postulated abiotic reaction mechanisms has not been possible, at least for large molecules such as large fatty acids and hydrocarbons. This includes the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction. High temperature-high pressure experimental methods have been developed and used successfully for a long time in, for example, mineral solubility studies under hydrothermal conditions. By taking advantage of this experimental experience new and, at times, unexpected directions can be taken in bioorganic geochemistry, one being, for instance, primitive two-dimensional information coding. This article critically reviews some of the organic synthesis and stability experiments that have been conducted under simulated submarine hydrothermal conditions. We also discuss some of the theoretical and practical considerations that apply to hydrothermal laboratory studies of organic molecules related to the origin of life on Earth and probably also to the other terrestrial planets.

In the search for life on Mars and other extraterrestrial bodies or in our attempts to identify biological traces in the most ancient rock record of Earth, one of the biggest problems facing us is how to recognize life or the remains of ancient life in a context very different from our planet's modern biological examples. Specific chemistries or biological properties may well be inapplicable to extraterrestrial conditions or ancient Earth environments. Thus, we need to develop an arsenal of techniques that are of broader applicability. The notion of patterning created in some fashion by biological processes and properties may provide such a generalized property of biological systems no matter what the incidentals of chemistry or environmental conditions. One approach to recognizing these kinds of patterns is to look at apparently organized arrangements created and left by life in extreme environments here on Earth, especially at various spatial scales, different geologies, and ...

Unique properties of oxygen and of the reactions with reactive oxygen species (ROS) participation are considered, the multiple ways of ROS generation and utilization are discussed in view of evidence for the absolute necessity of ROS for the normal vital activity. Many difficulties in the realization of the real role of ROS in vital activity are caused by the attitude to them only as to chemical substances, while they should be considered in the first place as the major participants of continuous flows of highly non-linear processes in which electron excited species emerge. These processes play a significant role in energy and informational flows in all the living systems. We suggest that the mechanisms of biological action of ROS are determined by the structural patterns (frequency-amplitude patterns of electron excited states generation and their relaxation) of the processes with ROS participation taking place in the aqueous environs. Energy released in such reactions is used as a...

In the present work the interactions of nucleic acid bases with and adsorption on clays were studied at two pHs (2.00, 7.00) using different techniques. As shown by Mössbauer and EPR spectroscopies and X-ray diffractometry, the most important finding of this work is that nucleic acid bases penetrate into the interlayer of the clays and oxidize Fe2+ to Fe3+, thus, this interaction cannot be regarded as a simple physical adsorption. For the two pHs the order of the adsorption of nucleic acid bases on the clays was: adenine ≈ cytosine > thymine > uracil. The adsorption of adenine and cytosine on clays increased with decreasing of the pH. For unaltered montmorillonite this result could be explained by electrostatic forces between adenine/cytosine positively charged and clay negatively charged. However for montmorillonite modified with Na2S, probably van der Waals forces also play an important role since both adenine/cytosine and clay were positively charged. FT-IR spectra showed that the interaction between nucleic acid bases and clays was through NH+ or NH 2+ groups. X-ray diffractograms showed that nucleic acid bases adsorbed on clays were distributed into the interlayer surface, edge sites and external surface functional groups (aluminol, silanol) EPR spectra showed that the intensity of the line g ≈ 2 increased probably because the oxidation of Fe2+ to Fe3+ by nucleic acid bases and intensity of the line g = 4.1 increased due to the interaction of Fe3+ with nucleic acid bases. Mössbauer spectra showed a large decreased on the Fe2+ doublet area of the clays due to the reaction of nucleic acid bases with Fe2+.

Stable, hydrogen-burning, M dwarf stars make up about 75% of all stars in the Galaxy. They are extremely long-lived, and because they are much smaller in mass than the Sun (between 0.5 and 0.08 MSun), their temperature and stellar luminosity are low and peaked in the red. We have re-examined what is known at present about the potential for a terrestrial planet forming within, or migrating into, the classic liquid-surface-water habitable zone close to an M dwarf star. Observations of protoplanetary disks suggest that planet-building materials are common around M dwarfs, but N-body simulations differ in their estimations of the likelihood of potentially habitable, wet planets that reside within their habitable zones, which are only about one-fifth to 1/50th of the width of that for a G star. Particularly in light of the claimed detection of the planets with masses as small as 5.5 and 7.5 MEarth orbiting M stars, there seems no reason to exclude the possibility of terrestrial planets. Tidally locked synchronous rotation within the narrow habitable zone does not necessarily lead to atmospheric collapse, and active stellar flaring may not be as much of an evolutionarily disadvantageous factor as has previously been supposed. We conclude that M dwarf stars may indeed be viable hosts for planets on which the origin and evolution of life can occur. A number of planetary processes such as cessation of geothermal activity or thermal and nonthermal atmospheric loss processes may limit the duration of planetary habitability to periods far shorter than the extreme lifetime of the M dwarf star. Nevertheless, it makes sense to include M dwarf stars in programs that seek to find habitable worlds and evidence of life. This paper presents the summary conclusions of an interdisciplinary workshop (http://mstars.seti.org) sponsored by the NASA Astrobiology Institute and convened at the SETI Institute. Key Words: Planets-Habitability-M dwarfs-Stars. Astrobiology 7, 30-65. M dwarf star. Observations of protoplanetary disks suggest that planet-building materials are common around M dwarfs, but N-body simulations differ in their estimations of the likelihood of potentially habitable, wet planets that reside within their habitable zones, which are only about one-fifth to 1/50th of the width of that for a G star. Particularly in light of the claimed detection of the planets with masses as small as 5.5 and 7.5 MEarth orbiting M stars, there seems no reason to exclude the possibility of terrestrial planets. Tidally locked synchronous rotation within the narrow habitable zone does not necessarily lead to atmospheric collapse, and active stellar flaring may not be as much of an evolutionarily disadvantageous factor as has previously been supposed. We conclude that M dwarf stars may indeed be viable hosts for planets on which the origin and evolution of life can occur. A number of planetary processes such as cessation of geothermal activity or thermal and nonthermal atmospheric loss processes may limit the duration of planetary habitability to periods far shorter than the extreme lifetime of the M dwarf star. Nevertheless, it makes sense to include M dwarf stars in programs that seek to find habitable worlds and evidence of life. This paper presents the summary conclusions of an interdisciplinary workshop (http://mstars.seti.org) sponsored by the NASA Astrobiology Institute and convened at the SETI Institute. Key Words: Planets-Habitability-M dwarfs-Stars. Astrobiology 7, 30-65.