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PMID: 2476811 Published · ppublish English Journal Article

Modern metabolism as a palimpsest of the RNA world.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ·Vol. 86 ·No. 18 ·1989-09-00 ·Pages 7054-8

Benner SA, Ellington AD, Tauer A

Abstract

An approach is developed for constructing models of ancient organisms using data from metabolic pathways, genetic organization, chemical structure, and enzymatic reaction mechanisms found in contemporary organisms. This approach is illustrated by a partial reconstruction of a model for the "breakthrough organism," the last organism to use RNA as the sole genetically encoded biological catalyst. As reconstructed here, this organism had a complex metabolism that included dehydrogenations, transmethylations, carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions, and an energy metabolism based on phosphate esters. Furthermore, the breakthrough organism probably used DNA to store genetic information, biosynthesized porphyrins, and used terpenes as its major lipid component. This model differs significantly from prevailing models based primarily on genetic data.

MeSH Terms
Bacteria/genetics,metabolism Biological Evolution DNA/genetics Fatty Acids/biosynthesis Metabolism Models, Genetic Proteins/genetics Pyrroles/metabolism RNA/genetics Terpenes/metabolism
Chemicals
Fatty Acids Proteins Pyrroles Terpenes RNA DNA
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Benner S A
Laboratory for Organic Chemistry, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zurich, Switzerland.
Ellington A D
Tauer A
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Article Info
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbr.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN
0027-8424
DOI
10.1073/pnas.86.18.7054
Published
1989-09-00
Pages
7054-8
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505876
PMCID
PMC297992
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1073/pnas.86.18.7054 PMC Full Text View journal details
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