New research shows how hydrogen gas plays a vital role in producing energy inside cells, and was critical for initiating life on Earth. Earth .
Now a study The research conducted by William F. Martin from the University of Düsseldorf and Martina Preiner from the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg emphasizes how early cellular life forms utilized hydrogen gas as their primary energy source.
The initial cells on our planet emerged from hydrogen gas generated in hydrothermal vents; the interaction between this hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide led to the formation of living molecules.
To extract energy, cells must drive electrons from hydrogen gas up an energetic gradient. "This is akin to compelling a river to flow upward rather than downward; thus, cells require sophisticated mechanisms," clarifies Max Brabender, one of the researchers involved in the study. The method through which cells accomplished this feat was uncovered just fifteen years prior by Wolfgang Buckel and Rolf Thauer.
They discovered that cells direct the two electrons from hydrogen along separate routes. One electron descends significantly, triggering a mechanism similar to a pulley system that propels the second electron upward against an energy gradient. This phenomenon is referred to as electron bifurcation. Within cells, this process involves multiple enzymes.
Therefore, figuring out how an endergonic reaction could take place in early evolution, before the existence of enzymes or cells, has been quite a challenging puzzle to solve.
Multiple theories suggest how the environment may have propelled electrons to higher energy levels towards ferredoxin prior to the emergence of electron bifurcation," explains Martin. "We've uncovered a mechanism so straightforward that it operates effectively under the natural settings found at hydrothermal vents.
Following the identification of electron bifurcation, researchers determined this mechanism to be both ancient and crucial for microorganisms utilizing hydrogen gas. However, what methods were employed to utilize hydrogen gas for carbon dioxide fixation prior to the emergence of proteins?
“ Metals offer insights," Preiner states. "In the emergence of life, metals within early environmental settings have the ability to drive electrons from hydrogen gas upwards, and traces of this primeval chemical process are still evident in the functioning of contemporary cellular systems."
However, simply having metals is insufficient.
"[Hydrogen gas] also needs to be generated by the environment," adds co-first author Delfina Pereira from Preiner’s laboratory.
Modern and ancient hydrothermal vents produce substantial quantities of hydrogen gas, which can transform iron-bearing minerals into lustrous metallic iron. This phenomenon isn’t novel; however, what’s surprising is that these natural processes occur extensively at hydrothermal vents. Furthermore, this naturally occurring deposit of iron might have been pivotal for the emergence of early life forms.
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