Metal Catalysts and the Origin of Life

Research Article| December 01, 2016 Metal Catalysts and the Origin of Life Luca Belmonte; Luca Belmonte 1CIBIO, University of Trentovia Sommarive 9, Povo, ItalyE-mail: luca.belmonte@unitn.it Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Sheref S. Mansy Sheref S. Mansy * *mansy@science.unitn.it Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Luca Belmonte 1CIBIO, University of Trentovia Sommarive 9, Povo, ItalyE-mail: luca.belmonte@unitn.it Sheref S. Mansy * *mansy@science.unitn.it Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 13 Jul 2017 Online Issn: 1811-5217 Print Issn: 1811-5209 © 2016 by the Mineralogical Society of America Elements (2016) 12 (6): 413–418. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.12.6.413 Article history First Online: 13 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Luca Belmonte, Sheref S. Mansy; Metal Catalysts and the Origin of Life. Elements 2016;; 12 (6): 413–418. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.12.6.413 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract Life as we know it is completely dependent on metal ions. Gradients of metal ions drive metabolism, metal centers often form the active sites of enzymes, and metal-ion coordination is largely responsible for protein and RNA folding. This dependence on metal ions likely reflects the environment from which cellular life emerged. However, long chain biological polymers were not present on prebiotic Earth. Therefore, the chemical reactions leading to Earth's first cells must have made use of alternative catalysts that were later superseded by RNA and protein. Here, we discuss the similarities between free metal ions, minerals, and biological enzyme catalysts, and how cellular life could have exploited prebiotic metallocomplexes. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.