Intrinsic Concentration Cycles and High Ion Fluxes in Self-assembled Precipitate Membranes

Overview

Journal Interface Focus

Specialty Biology

Date 2019 Oct 24

PMID 31641435

Citations 4

Authors

Yang Ding

Julyan H E Cartwright

Silvana S S Cardoso

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Concentration cycles are important for bonding of basic molecular building components at the emergence of life. We demonstrate that oscillations occur intrinsically in precipitation reactions when coupled with fluid mechanics in self-assembled precipitate membranes, such as at submarine hydrothermal vents. We show that, moreover, the flow of ions across one pore in such a prebiotic membrane is larger than that across one ion channel in a modern biological cell membrane, suggesting that proto-biological processes could be sustained by osmotic flow in a less efficient prebiotic environment. Oscillations in nanoreactors at hydrothermal vents may be just right for these warm little pores to be the cradle of life.

Citing Articles

Hybrid organic-inorganic structures trigger the formation of primitive cell-like compartments.

Holler S, Bartlett S, Loffler R, Casiraghi F, Diaz C, Cartwright J Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023; 120(33):e2300491120.

PMID: 37561785 PMC: 10438843. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300491120.

The Effect of the Presence of Amino Acids on the Precipitation of Inorganic Chemical-Garden Membranes: Biomineralization at the Origin of Life.

Borrego-Sanchez A, Gutierrez-Ariza C, Sainz-Diaz C, Cartwright J Langmuir. 2022; 38(34):10538-10547.

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The "Water Problem"(), the Illusory Pond and Life's Submarine Emergence-A Review.

Russell M Life (Basel). 2021; 11(5).

PMID: 34068713 PMC: 8151828. DOI: 10.3390/life11050429.

The requirement of cellularity for abiogenesis.

Caliari A, Xu J, Yomo T Comput Struct Biotechnol J. 2021; 19:2202-2212.

PMID: 33995913 PMC: 8099592. DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.04.030.

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