File Download
  Links for fulltext
     (May Require Subscription)
Supplementary

Article: Extreme accumulation of nucleotides in simulated hydrothermal pore systems

TitleExtreme accumulation of nucleotides in simulated hydrothermal pore systems
Authors
KeywordsConcentration problem
Hydrothermal vents
Molecular evolution
Origin of life problem
RNA world
Issue Date2007
PublisherNational Academy of Sciences. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.pnas.org
Citation
Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America, 2007, v. 104 n. 22, p. 9346-9351 How to Cite?
AbstractWe simulate molecular transport in elongated hydrothermal pore systems influenced by a thermal gradient. We find extreme accumulation of molecules in a wide variety of plugged pores. The mechanism is able to provide highly concentrated single nucleotides, suitable for operations of an RNA world at the origin of life. It is driven solely by the thermal gradient across a pore. On the one hand, the fluid is shuttled by thermal convection along the pore, whereas on the other hand, the molecules drift across the pore, driven by thermodiffusion. As a result, millimeter-sized pores accumulate even single nucleotides more than 108-fold into micrometer-sized regions. The enhanced concentration of molecules is found in the bulk water near the closed bottom end of the pore. Because the accumulation depends exponentially on the pore length and temperature difference, it is considerably robust with respect to changes in the cleft geometry and the molecular dimensions. Whereas thin pores can concentrate only long polynucleotides, thicker pores accumulate short and long polynucleotides equally well and allow various molecular compositions. This setting also provides a temperature oscillation, shown previously to exponentially replicate DNA in the protein-assisted PCR. Our results indicate that, for life to evolve, complicated active membrane transport is not required for the initial steps. We find that interlinked mineral pores in a thermal gradient provide a compelling high-concentration starting point for the molecular evolution of life. © 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA.
DescriptionComment in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007 May 29;104(22):9105-9106.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/139222
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 9.4
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 3.737
PubMed Central ID
ISI Accession Number ID
References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorBaaske, Pen_HK
dc.contributor.authorWeinert, FMen_HK
dc.contributor.authorDuhr, Sen_HK
dc.contributor.authorLemke, KHen_HK
dc.contributor.authorRussell, MJen_HK
dc.contributor.authorBraun, Den_HK
dc.date.accessioned2011-09-23T05:47:14Z-
dc.date.available2011-09-23T05:47:14Z-
dc.date.issued2007en_HK
dc.identifier.citationProceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America, 2007, v. 104 n. 22, p. 9346-9351en_HK
dc.identifier.issn0027-8424en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/139222-
dc.descriptionComment in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007 May 29;104(22):9105-9106.-
dc.description.abstractWe simulate molecular transport in elongated hydrothermal pore systems influenced by a thermal gradient. We find extreme accumulation of molecules in a wide variety of plugged pores. The mechanism is able to provide highly concentrated single nucleotides, suitable for operations of an RNA world at the origin of life. It is driven solely by the thermal gradient across a pore. On the one hand, the fluid is shuttled by thermal convection along the pore, whereas on the other hand, the molecules drift across the pore, driven by thermodiffusion. As a result, millimeter-sized pores accumulate even single nucleotides more than 108-fold into micrometer-sized regions. The enhanced concentration of molecules is found in the bulk water near the closed bottom end of the pore. Because the accumulation depends exponentially on the pore length and temperature difference, it is considerably robust with respect to changes in the cleft geometry and the molecular dimensions. Whereas thin pores can concentrate only long polynucleotides, thicker pores accumulate short and long polynucleotides equally well and allow various molecular compositions. This setting also provides a temperature oscillation, shown previously to exponentially replicate DNA in the protein-assisted PCR. Our results indicate that, for life to evolve, complicated active membrane transport is not required for the initial steps. We find that interlinked mineral pores in a thermal gradient provide a compelling high-concentration starting point for the molecular evolution of life. © 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA.en_HK
dc.languageengen_US
dc.publisherNational Academy of Sciences. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.pnas.orgen_HK
dc.relation.ispartofProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of Americaen_HK
dc.subjectConcentration problemen_HK
dc.subjectHydrothermal ventsen_HK
dc.subjectMolecular evolutionen_HK
dc.subjectOrigin of life problemen_HK
dc.subjectRNA worlden_HK
dc.subject.meshBiogenesis-
dc.subject.meshDiffusion-
dc.subject.meshHot Temperature-
dc.subject.meshModels, Chemical-
dc.subject.meshNucleotides - chemistry - metabolism-
dc.titleExtreme accumulation of nucleotides in simulated hydrothermal pore systemsen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.openurlhttp://library.hku.hk:4550/resserv?sid=HKU:IR&issn=0027-8424&volume=104&issue=22&spage=9346&epage=9351&date=2007&atitle=Extreme+accumulation+of+nucleotides+in+simulated+hydrothermal+pore+systems-
dc.identifier.emailLemke, KH:kono@hkucc.hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.authorityLemke, KH=rp00729en_HK
dc.description.naturelink_to_OA_fulltext-
dc.identifier.doi10.1073/pnas.0609592104en_HK
dc.identifier.pmid17494767en_HK
dc.identifier.pmcidPMC1890497-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-34250893022en_HK
dc.identifier.hkuros195650en_US
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-34250893022&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_HK
dc.identifier.volume104en_HK
dc.identifier.issue22en_HK
dc.identifier.spage9346en_HK
dc.identifier.epage9351en_HK
dc.identifier.eissn1091-6490-
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000246935700048-
dc.publisher.placeUnited Statesen_HK
dc.identifier.f10001108570-
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridBaaske, P=17345351200en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridWeinert, FM=17347526900en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridDuhr, S=8346869700en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridLemke, KH=24168776600en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridRussell, MJ=35477644300en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridBraun, D=7201926668en_HK
dc.identifier.citeulike2478277-
dc.identifier.issnl0027-8424-

Export via OAI-PMH Interface in XML Formats


OR


Export to Other Non-XML Formats