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. 2023 Mar 8;13(3):731.
doi: 10.3390/life13030731.

Prebiotic Synthesis of ATP: A Terrestrial Volcanism-Dependent Pathway

Xin-Yi Chu  1   2   3 , Hong-Yu Zhang  1
Affiliations

Prebiotic Synthesis of ATP: A Terrestrial Volcanism-Dependent Pathway

Xin-Yi Chu et al. Life (Basel). .

Abstract

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a multifunctional small molecule, necessary for all modern Earth life, which must be a component of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA). However, the relatively complex structure of ATP causes doubts about its accessibility on prebiotic Earth. In this paper, based on previous studies on the synthesis of ATP components, a plausible prebiotic pathway yielding this key molecule is constructed, which relies on terrestrial volcanism to provide the required materials and suitable conditions.

Keywords: RNA world; adenosine triphosphate (ATP); origin of life; protein cofactor; volcanism.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The source and potential solution of the phosphorus problem. (A) In the nebula that formed the solar system, phosphorus mainly exists in the form of PH3. The heavy element Fe was enriched in the inner solar system which reacted with PH3 to form Fe3P. Part of Fe3P was oxidized to phosphate minerals (PO43−) during the formation of celestial bodies like chondrite. (B) On the newly formed earth, 80% of the phosphorus combined with Fe and sunk to the core. Crust phosphorus mainly exists in the form of insoluble apatite minerals, which is difficult for participating in prebiotic reactions. Lakes or pools of formamide, carboxylic acids, or carbonate solutions can extract PO43− from minerals. Volcanic activity can generate polyphosphates, which is a class of active phosphorylation reagents. Schreibersites that fall to Earth can react with water and generate hypophosphite, phosphite, and hypophosphate, which are active phosphorylation reagents and can be further oxidized to produce polyphosphates.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A terrestrial volcanism-dependent pathway for prebiotic ATP synthesis. (A) Adenine synthesis. During intense volcanism, HCN is generated in the atmosphere around an active volcano and then partially hydrolyzed to formamide. As the mixture of formamide and water washed down the slope, the increasing temperature gradient, created by geothermal activity, removed most of the water by fractionation. Adenine is produced in the hot formamide pond and is washed into cooler water. Alternatively, after HCN enters a mineral-rich pool, it forms ferrocyanide with ferrous ions and is converted into soluble cyanide salts after suffering the intense heat caused by magma invasion. During mild volcanism, cyanide salts revert to HCN when encountering water, and the latter polymerizes under a freezing condition to give adenine. (B) Ribose and ATP synthesis. Formaldehyde is produced in the atmosphere by photochemical and electrochemical reactions, then washed into the ponds around the volcano along with the polyphosphates from the fumarole. Formose reaction occurred in these pounds, then the generated ribose may be separated from the sugars by minerals along the way downstream. Finally, the substrates are assembled in a pool or lake at the foot of the volcano, and ATP can be synthesized during wet-dry cycles.
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