NDLI: Periodic Vesicle Formation in Tectonic Fault Zones—an Ideal Scenario for Molecular Evolution

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Mayer, Christian Schreiber, Ulrich Dávila, María J.
Copyright Year	2015
Abstract	Tectonic fault systems in the continental crust offer huge networks of interconnected channels and cavities. Filled mainly with water and carbon dioxide (CO$_{2}$), containing a wide variety of hydrothermal chemistry and numerous catalytic surfaces, they may offer ideal reaction conditions for prebiotic chemistry. In these systems, an accumulation zone for organic compounds will develop at a depth of approximately 1 km where CO$_{2}$ turns sub-critical and dissolved components precipitate. At this point, periodic pressure changes caused for example by tidal influences or geyser activity may generate a cyclic process involving repeated phase transitions of carbon dioxide. In the presence of amphiphilic compounds, this will necessarily lead to the transient formation of coated water droplets in the gas phase and corresponding vesicular structures in the aqueous environment. During this process, the concentration of organic components inside the droplets and vesicles would be drastically increased, allowing for favorable reaction conditions and, in case of the vesicles generated, large trans-membrane concentration gradients. Altogether, the process of periodic formation and destruction of vesicles could offer a perfect environment for molecular evolution in small compartments and for the generation of protocells. The basic process of vesicle formation is reproduced experimentally with a lipid in a water/CO$_{2}$ system.
Starting Page	139
Ending Page	148
Page Count	10
File Format	PDF
ISSN	01696149
Journal	Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres
Volume Number	45
Issue Number	1-2
e-ISSN	15730875
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Netherlands
Publisher Date	2015-02-27
Publisher Place	Dordrecht
Access Restriction	Subscribed
Subject Keyword	Origin of life Supercritical carbon dioxide Compartments Vesicles Molecular evolution Tectonic fault zones Life Sciences Astrophysics and Astroparticles Earth Sciences Astronomy, Observations and Techniques Biochemistry
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Medicine Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Space and Planetary Science

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