A toy model of prebiotic peptide evolution: the possible role of relative amino acid abundances

• Authors: Carlos Polanco , Thomas Buhse , José Lino Samaniego , Jorge Alberto Castañón González
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This paper presents a mathematical-computational toy model based on the assumed dynamic principles of prebiotic peptide evolution. Starting from a pool of amino acid monomers, the model describes in a generalized manner the generation of peptides and their sequential information. The model integrates the intrinsic and dynamic key elements of the initiation of biopolymerization, such as the relative amino acid abundances and polarities, as well as the oligomer reversibility, i.e. fragmentation and recombination, and peptide self-replication. Our modeling results suggest that the relative amino acid abundances, as indicated by Miller-Urey type electric discharge experiments, played a principal role in the early sequential information of peptide profiles. Moreover, the computed profiles display an astonishing similarity to peptide profiles observed in so-called biological common ancestors found in the following three microorganisms; E. coli, M. jannaschii, and S. cereviasiae. The prebiotic peptide fingerprint was obtained by the so-called polarity index method that was earlier reported as a tool for the identification of cationic amphipathic antibacterial short peptides.

Keywords

EN

polarity index method.; computer simulation; prebiotic polymerization; toy model; peptides; amino acids

• Publisher: Polish Biochemical Society
• Journal: Acta Biochimica Polonica
• Year: 2013
• Volume: 60
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 175-182

Dates

published

2013

received

2012-12-27

revised

2013-04-25

accepted

2013-05-14

(unknown)

2013-06-06

Contributors

author

Carlos Polanco

• Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac, Huixquilucan Estado de México, México

author

Thomas Buhse

• Centro de Investigaciones Químicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México

author

José Lino Samaniego

• Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac, Huixquilucan Estado de México, México

author

Jorge Alberto Castañón González

• Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac, Huixquilucan Estado de México, México

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