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Nature Research, Scientific Reports, 1(2), 2012

DOI: 10.1038/srep00263

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The ineluctable requirement for the trans-iron elements molybdenum and/or tungsten in the origin of life

Journal article published in 2012 by Barbara Schoepp-Cothenet, Robert van Lis, Pascal Philippot, Axel Magalon ORCID, Michael J. Russell, Wolfgang Nitschke
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

An evolutionary tree of key enzymes from the Complex-Iron-Sulfur-Molybdoenzyme (CISM) superfamily distinguishes "ancient" members, i.e. enzymes present already in the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) of prokaryotes, from more recently evolved subfamilies. The majority of the presented subfamilies and, as a consequence, the Molybdo-enzyme superfamily as a whole, appear to have existed in LUCA. The results are discussed with respect to the nature of bioenergetic substrates available to early life and to problems arising from the low solubility of molybdenum under conditions of the primordial Earth.