What question did this study set out to answer?

The central aim is to explore how RNA-iron complexes could catalyze oxygen production and manage oxidative stress on early Earth.

February 12, 2026Open Access

RNA−Iron complexes catalyse prebiotic oxygen generation

YWYing-Chi WangNational Taiwan University JTJing-Hong TuNational Taiwan University LYLung-Chih YuNational Taiwan University

Key Points

The central aim is to explore how RNA-iron complexes could catalyze oxygen production and manage oxidative stress on early Earth.
Investigated RNA molecules coordinated with ferrous iron (Fe2+).
Conducted reactions to observe H2O2 oxidation under anoxic conditions.
Simulated early Earth environment for experimental conditions.
RNA-iron complexes effectively oxidized H2O2 into O2 and H2O.
Demonstrated that RNA can engage in redox activity without protein enzymes.
Provided a potential link between early geochemical processes and biological chemistry.

Abstract

The emergence of molecular oxygen on early Earth is conventionally attributed to the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. A persistent challenge for early life, however, was the management of reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which could arise through a variety of abiotic processes. Here we report that some RNA molecules, when coordinated with ferrous iron (Fe2+), catalyze the oxidation of H2O2 into O2 and H2O under anoxic conditions that mimic the early Earth environment. This previously unrecognized RNA-based redox activity suggests that ancient RNA-metal complexes may have contributed to the detoxification of H2O2 and the management of oxidative stress prior to the evolution of protein enzymes. Such RNA-Fe complexes provide a plausible molecular mechanism linking early geochemical oxidants to primitive biological redox chemistry.

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