Analysis of ancient proteins reveals new clues about the origin of life on Earth

An international team of chemists led by researchers from Johns Hopkins and Charles University

University in Prague in a series of experimentstested the possibility of forming proteins necessary for life from various amino acids. The analysis showed that the primary set of 10 amino acids that “early” organisms used was not formed by chance.

Despite the fact that on the primitive Earth there werehundreds of different amino acids, all living things on the planet use only 20 of them. At the same time, the analysis of early organisms shows that the first of them, apparently, were content with a limited set of 10 types of such compounds.

In their study, the researchers simulated the primaryprotein synthesis that occurred about 4 billion years ago. But they used an alternative set of amino acids that were very common before life arose on Earth. The study showed that the replacement of amino acids significantly reduces the solubility of more complex protein compounds, and also makes it difficult for them to twist into secondary structures.

Ancient organic compounds integrated intoscientists consider their biochemistry to be the amino acids most suitable for folding proteins. Life on Earth was made possible not only because some amino acids were available, but also because some of them were especially good at helping proteins take the specific shape they needed to perform essential functions.

Protein folding kicked off evolution beforehow life appeared on our planet. Evolution began before biology, and natural selection of chemicals useful for life before DNA.

Stephen Fried, Johns Hopkins University chemist and study co-author

The fact that certain amino acids are bettermost suitable for the formation of complex organic compounds, suggests that extraterrestrial life, if it exists, apparently will not differ much from that which has developed on our planet, scientists believe. In addition, this explains the time gap between the formation of the planet and the origin of life: it took time to collect all the necessary components. Some of them could have formed on Earth, other amino acids were “delivered” by asteroids from space.

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