From amino acid mixtures to peptides in liquid sulphur dioxide on early Earth

The formation of peptide bonds is one of the most important biochemical reaction steps. Without the development of structurally and catalytically active polymers, there would be no life on our planet. However, the formation of large, complex oligomer systems is prevented by the high thermodynamic barrier of peptide condensation in aqueous solution. Liquid sulphur dioxide proves to be a superior alternative for copper-catalyzed peptide condensations. Compared to water, amino acids are activated in sulphur dioxide, leading to the incorporation of all 20 proteinogenic amino acids into proteins. Strikingly, even extremely low initial reactant concentrations of only 50 mM are sufficient for extensive peptide formation, yielding up to 2.9% of dialanine in 7 days. The reactions carried out at room temperature and the successful use of the Hadean mineral covellite (CuS) as a catalyst, suggest a volcanic environment for the formation of the peptide world on early Earth.

Loosening ER–Mitochondria Coupling by the Expression of the Presenilin 2 Loop Domain

Presenilin 2 (PS2), one of the three proteins in which mutations are linked to familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD), exerts different functions within the cell independently of being part of the γ-secretase complex, thus unrelated to toxic amyloid peptide formation. In particular, its enrichment in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane domains close to mitochondria (i.e., mitochondria-associated membranes, MAM) enables PS2 to modulate multiple processes taking place on these signaling hubs, such as Ca2+ handling and lipid synthesis. Importantly, upregulated MAM function appears to be critical in AD pathogenesis. We previously showed that FAD-PS2 mutants reinforce ER–mitochondria tethering, by interfering with the activity of mitofusin 2, favoring their Ca2+ crosstalk. Here, we deepened the molecular mechanism underlying PS2 activity on ER–mitochondria tethering, identifying its protein loop as an essential domain to mediate the reinforced ER–mitochondria connection in FAD-PS2 models. Moreover, we introduced a novel tool, the PS2 loop domain targeted to the outer mitochondrial membrane, Mit-PS2-LOOP, that is able to counteract the activity of FAD-PS2 on organelle tethering, which possibly helps in recovering the FAD-PS2-associated cellular alterations linked to an increased organelle coupling.

Peptide formation as on the early Earth: from amino acid mixtures to peptides in sulphur dioxide

The formation of peptide bonds is one of the most important biochemical reaction steps. Without the development of structurally and catalytically active polymers, there would be no life on our planet. Intensive research is being conducted on possible reaction pathways for the formation of complex peptides on the early Earth. Salt-induced peptide formation (SIPF) by metal catalysis is one possible pathway for abiotic peptide synthesis. The high salt concentration supports dehydration in this process. However, the formation of large, complex oligomer systems is prevented by the high thermodynamic barrier of peptide condensation in aqueous solution. Liquid sulphur dioxide proves to be a superior alternative for copper-catalysed peptide condensation. Compared to water, the amino acids are activated in sulphur dioxide, which leads to the incorporation of all 20 proteinogenic amino acids into the resulting proteins and thus to a large variety of products. Strikingly, even extremely low initial reactant concentrations of only 50 mM are sufficient for extensive peptide formation, leading to an overall yield of 2.9% for dialanine in 7 days. The reactions carried out at room temperature and the successful use of the Hadean mineral covellite as a catalyst, suggest a volcanic environment for the formation of the peptide world on early Earth as a likely scenario.

Natural Products Targeting Amyloid Beta in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by severe brain damage and dementia. There are currently few therapeutics to treat this disease, and they can only temporarily alleviate some of the symptoms. The pathogenesis of AD is mainly preceded by accumulation of abnormal amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregates, which are toxic to neurons. Therefore, modulation of the formation of these abnormal aggregates is strongly suggested as the most effective approach to treat AD. In particular, numerous studies on natural products associated with AD, aiming to downregulate Aβ peptides and suppress the formation of abnormal Aβ aggregates, thus reducing neural cell death, are being conducted. Generation of Aβ peptides can be prevented by targeting the secretases involved in Aβ-peptide formation (secretase-dependent). Additionally, blocking the intra- and intermolecular interactions of Aβ peptides can induce conformational changes in abnormal Aβ aggregates, whereby the toxicity can be ameliorated (structure-dependent). In this review, AD-associated natural products which can reduce the accumulation of Aβ peptides via secretase- or structure-dependent pathways, and the current clinical trial states of these products are discussed.

Thioesters Provide a Robust Path to Prebiotic Peptides

The condensation of building blocks into oligomers and polymers was an early and important stage in the origins of life. High activation energies, unfavorable thermodynamics and side reactions are bottlenecks for abiotic formation of peptides. Thioesters are hypothesized to have played key roles in prebiotic chemistry on early Earth, serving as energy storing molecules, as synthetic intermediates, and as catalysts in the formation of more complex molecules, including polypeptides. However, all abiotic reactions reported thus far for peptide formation via thioester intermediates have relied on activated building blocks or condensing agents, which are of questionable prebiotic relevance. We report robust, plausible prebiotic reactions of mercaptoacids with amino acids that result in the formation of peptides and thiodepsipeptides, which contain both peptide and thioester bonds. Peptide bond formation proceeds by the condensation of mercaptoacids to form thioesters followed by thioester-amide exchange. Mercaptoacids catalyze thiodepsipeptides and peptide formation under a wide range of pH conditions and at mild temperatures. Our results offer the most robust one-pot pathway for peptide formation ever reported. These results support the hypothesis that thiodepsipeptides formed robustly on prebiotic Earth and were possible contributors to early chemical evolution.

Thioesters Provide a Robust Path to Prebiotic Peptides

The condensation of building blocks into oligomers and polymers was an early and important stage in the origins of life. High activation energies, unfavorable thermodynamics and side reactions are bottlenecks for abiotic formation of peptides. Thioesters are hypothesized to have played key roles in prebiotic chemistry on early Earth, serving as energy storing molecules, as synthetic intermediates, and as catalysts in the formation of more complex molecules, including polypeptides. However, all abiotic reactions reported thus far for peptide formation via thioester intermediates have relied on activated building blocks or condensing agents, which are of questionable prebiotic relevance. We report robust, plausible prebiotic reactions of mercaptoacids with amino acids that result in the formation of peptides and thiodepsipeptides, which contain both peptide and thioester bonds. Peptide bond formation proceeds by the condensation of mercaptoacids to form thioesters followed by thioester-amide exchange. Mercaptoacids catalyze thiodepsipeptides and peptide formation under a wide range of pH conditions and at mild temperatures. Our results offer the most robust one-pot pathway for peptide formation ever reported. These results support the hypothesis that thiodepsipeptides formed robustly on prebiotic Earth and were possible contributors to early chemical evolution.