Morowitz Harold J, Srinivasan Vijayasarathy, Smith Eric
Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.
Biol Bull. 2010 Aug;219(1):1-6. doi: 10.1086/BBLv219n1p1.
The assumption that all biological catalysts are either proteins or ribozymes leads to an outstanding enigma of biogenesis-how to determine the synthetic pathways to the monomers for the efficient formation of catalytic macromolecules in the absence of any such macromolecules. The last 60 years have witnessed chemists developing an understanding of organocatalysis and ligand field theory, both of which give demonstrable low-molecular-weight catalysts. We assume that transition-metal-ligand complexes are likely to have occurred in the deep ocean trenches by the combination of naturally occurring oceanic metals and ligands synthesized from the emergent CO(2), H(2), NH(3), H(2)S, and H(3)PO(4). We are now in a position to investigate experimentally the metal-ligand complexes, their catalytic function, and the reaction networks that could have played a role in the development of metabolism and life itself.
认为所有生物催化剂要么是蛋白质要么是核酶这一假设，引发了生物起源的一个突出谜团——即在不存在任何此类大分子的情况下，如何确定催化大分子高效形成所需单体的合成途径。在过去的60年里，化学家们逐渐深入了解了有机催化和配体场理论，这两者都能产生可证实的低分子量催化剂。我们假定，通过天然存在的海洋金属与由逸出的二氧化碳、氢气、氨气、硫化氢和磷酸合成的配体相结合，过渡金属-配体络合物很可能曾出现在深海海沟中。我们现在有能力通过实验研究金属-配体络合物、它们的催化功能以及可能在新陈代谢和生命自身发展过程中发挥作用的反应网络。
