Origin of Life’s Building Blocks in Carbon- and Nitrogen-Rich Surface Hydrothermal Vents

There are two dominant and contrasting classes of origin of life scenarios: those predicting that life emerged in submarine hydrothermal systems, where chemical disequilibrium can provide an energy source for nascent life; and those predicting that life emerged within subaerial environments, where U...

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Main Authors:	Paul B. Rimmer, Oliver Shorttle
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	MDPI AG 2019-01-01
Series:	Life
Subjects:	origin of life volcanism on the early earth hydrothermal vents
Online Access:	https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/9/1/12

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spelling	doaj-ea911b3534ce481c843d0e50181462792020-11-25T01:59:04ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292019-01-01911210.3390/life9010012life9010012Origin of Life’s Building Blocks in Carbon- and Nitrogen-Rich Surface Hydrothermal VentsPaul B. Rimmer0Oliver Shorttle1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UKDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UKThere are two dominant and contrasting classes of origin of life scenarios: those predicting that life emerged in submarine hydrothermal systems, where chemical disequilibrium can provide an energy source for nascent life; and those predicting that life emerged within subaerial environments, where UV catalysis of reactions may occur to form the building blocks of life. Here, we describe a prebiotically plausible environment that draws on the strengths of both scenarios: surface hydrothermal vents. We show how key feedstock molecules for prebiotic chemistry can be produced in abundance in shallow and surficial hydrothermal systems. We calculate the chemistry of volcanic gases feeding these vents over a range of pressures and basalt C/N/O contents. If ultra-reducing carbon-rich nitrogen-rich gases interact with subsurface water at a volcanic vent they result in <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <msup> <mn>10</mn> <mrow> <mo>−</mo> <mn>3</mn> </mrow> </msup> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>⁻<inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mn>1</mn> <mspace width="0.166667em"></mspace> <mi mathvariant="normal">M</mi> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> concentrations of diacetylene (C<sub>4</sub>H<sub>2</sub>), acetylene (C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>2</sub>), cyanoacetylene (HC<sub>3</sub>N), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), bisulfite (likely in the form of salts containing HSO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>), hydrogen sulfide (HS<sup>−</sup>) and soluble iron in vent water. One key feedstock molecule, cyanamide (CH<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>), is not formed in significant quantities within this scenario, suggesting that it may need to be delivered exogenously, or formed from hydrogen cyanide either via organometallic compounds, or by some as yet-unknown chemical synthesis. Given the likely ubiquity of surface hydrothermal vents on young, hot, terrestrial planets, these results identify a prebiotically plausible local geochemical environment, which is also amenable to future lab-based simulation.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/9/1/12origin of lifevolcanism on the early earthhydrothermal vents
collection	DOAJ
language	English
format	Article
sources	DOAJ
author	Paul B. Rimmer Oliver Shorttle
spellingShingle	Paul B. Rimmer Oliver Shorttle Origin of Life’s Building Blocks in Carbon- and Nitrogen-Rich Surface Hydrothermal Vents Life origin of life volcanism on the early earth hydrothermal vents
author_facet	Paul B. Rimmer Oliver Shorttle
author_sort	Paul B. Rimmer
title	Origin of Life’s Building Blocks in Carbon- and Nitrogen-Rich Surface Hydrothermal Vents
title_short	Origin of Life’s Building Blocks in Carbon- and Nitrogen-Rich Surface Hydrothermal Vents
title_full	Origin of Life’s Building Blocks in Carbon- and Nitrogen-Rich Surface Hydrothermal Vents
title_fullStr	Origin of Life’s Building Blocks in Carbon- and Nitrogen-Rich Surface Hydrothermal Vents
title_full_unstemmed	Origin of Life’s Building Blocks in Carbon- and Nitrogen-Rich Surface Hydrothermal Vents
title_sort	origin of life’s building blocks in carbon- and nitrogen-rich surface hydrothermal vents
publisher	MDPI AG
series	Life
issn	2075-1729
publishDate	2019-01-01
description	There are two dominant and contrasting classes of origin of life scenarios: those predicting that life emerged in submarine hydrothermal systems, where chemical disequilibrium can provide an energy source for nascent life; and those predicting that life emerged within subaerial environments, where UV catalysis of reactions may occur to form the building blocks of life. Here, we describe a prebiotically plausible environment that draws on the strengths of both scenarios: surface hydrothermal vents. We show how key feedstock molecules for prebiotic chemistry can be produced in abundance in shallow and surficial hydrothermal systems. We calculate the chemistry of volcanic gases feeding these vents over a range of pressures and basalt C/N/O contents. If ultra-reducing carbon-rich nitrogen-rich gases interact with subsurface water at a volcanic vent they result in <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <msup> <mn>10</mn> <mrow> <mo>−</mo> <mn>3</mn> </mrow> </msup> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>⁻<inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mrow> <mn>1</mn> <mspace width="0.166667em"></mspace> <mi mathvariant="normal">M</mi> </mrow> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> concentrations of diacetylene (C<sub>4</sub>H<sub>2</sub>), acetylene (C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>2</sub>), cyanoacetylene (HC<sub>3</sub>N), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), bisulfite (likely in the form of salts containing HSO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>), hydrogen sulfide (HS<sup>−</sup>) and soluble iron in vent water. One key feedstock molecule, cyanamide (CH<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>), is not formed in significant quantities within this scenario, suggesting that it may need to be delivered exogenously, or formed from hydrogen cyanide either via organometallic compounds, or by some as yet-unknown chemical synthesis. Given the likely ubiquity of surface hydrothermal vents on young, hot, terrestrial planets, these results identify a prebiotically plausible local geochemical environment, which is also amenable to future lab-based simulation.
topic	origin of life volcanism on the early earth hydrothermal vents
url	https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/9/1/12
work_keys_str_mv	AT paulbrimmer originoflifesbuildingblocksincarbonandnitrogenrichsurfacehydrothermalvents AT olivershorttle originoflifesbuildingblocksincarbonandnitrogenrichsurfacehydrothermalvents
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Origin of Life’s Building Blocks in Carbon- and Nitrogen-Rich Surface Hydrothermal Vents

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