Methane formation driven by light and heat prior to the origin of life and beyond
Abstract Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, which likely enabled the evolution of life by keeping the early Earth warm. Here, we demonstrate routes towards abiotic methane and ethane formation under early-earth conditions from methylated sulfur and nitrogen compounds with prebiotic origin. These co...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39917-0 |
| _version_ | 1797752691787563008 |
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| author | Leonard Ernst Uladzimir Barayeu Jonas Hädeler Tobias P. Dick Judith M. Klatt Frank Keppler Johannes G. Rebelein |
| author_facet | Leonard Ernst Uladzimir Barayeu Jonas Hädeler Tobias P. Dick Judith M. Klatt Frank Keppler Johannes G. Rebelein |
| author_sort | Leonard Ernst |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, which likely enabled the evolution of life by keeping the early Earth warm. Here, we demonstrate routes towards abiotic methane and ethane formation under early-earth conditions from methylated sulfur and nitrogen compounds with prebiotic origin. These compounds are demethylated in Fenton reactions governed by ferrous iron and reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by light and heat in aqueous environments. After the emergence of life, this phenomenon would have greatly intensified in the anoxic Archean by providing methylated sulfur and nitrogen substrates. This ROS-driven Fenton chemistry can occur delocalized from serpentinization across Earth’s humid realm and thereby substantially differs from previously suggested methane formation routes that are spatially restricted. Here, we report that Fenton reactions driven by light and heat release methane and ethane and might have shaped the chemical evolution of the atmosphere prior to the origin of life and beyond. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:07:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5ea860a195e94a00ac644356ed42e312 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:07:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-5ea860a195e94a00ac644356ed42e3122023-08-06T11:19:42ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-08-0114111010.1038/s41467-023-39917-0Methane formation driven by light and heat prior to the origin of life and beyondLeonard Ernst0Uladzimir Barayeu1Jonas Hädeler2Tobias P. Dick3Judith M. Klatt4Frank Keppler5Johannes G. Rebelein6Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyDivision of Redox Regulation, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DKFZ-ZMBH AllianceInstitute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg UniversityDivision of Redox Regulation, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DKFZ-ZMBH AllianceCenter for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO)Institute of Earth Sciences, Heidelberg UniversityMax Planck Institute for Terrestrial MicrobiologyAbstract Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, which likely enabled the evolution of life by keeping the early Earth warm. Here, we demonstrate routes towards abiotic methane and ethane formation under early-earth conditions from methylated sulfur and nitrogen compounds with prebiotic origin. These compounds are demethylated in Fenton reactions governed by ferrous iron and reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by light and heat in aqueous environments. After the emergence of life, this phenomenon would have greatly intensified in the anoxic Archean by providing methylated sulfur and nitrogen substrates. This ROS-driven Fenton chemistry can occur delocalized from serpentinization across Earth’s humid realm and thereby substantially differs from previously suggested methane formation routes that are spatially restricted. Here, we report that Fenton reactions driven by light and heat release methane and ethane and might have shaped the chemical evolution of the atmosphere prior to the origin of life and beyond.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39917-0 |
| spellingShingle | Leonard Ernst Uladzimir Barayeu Jonas Hädeler Tobias P. Dick Judith M. Klatt Frank Keppler Johannes G. Rebelein Methane formation driven by light and heat prior to the origin of life and beyond Nature Communications |
| title | Methane formation driven by light and heat prior to the origin of life and beyond |
| title_full | Methane formation driven by light and heat prior to the origin of life and beyond |
| title_fullStr | Methane formation driven by light and heat prior to the origin of life and beyond |
| title_full_unstemmed | Methane formation driven by light and heat prior to the origin of life and beyond |
| title_short | Methane formation driven by light and heat prior to the origin of life and beyond |
| title_sort | methane formation driven by light and heat prior to the origin of life and beyond |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39917-0 |
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