Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2023

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[E] Oral

M (Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary) » M-IS Intersection

[M-IS03] Astrobiology

Sun. May 21, 2023 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM 105 (International Conference Hall, Makuhari Messe)

convener:Kosuke Fujishima(Tokyo Institute of Technology, Earth-Life Science Institute), Seiji Sugita(Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science Sciece, The University of Tokyo), Misato Fukagawa(National Astronomical Observatory of Japan), Yohey Suzuki(Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo), Chairperson:Seiji Sugita(Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science Sciece, The University of Tokyo), Yohey Suzuki(Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo)

4:05 PM - 4:20 PM

[MIS03-08] Enzymatic thioester and thioacid formation from aldehydes

*Shawn E McGlynn1, Kei Fukuda White2 (1.Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2.Earth-Life Science Institute, and School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology)

Keywords:thioester, thioacid, energy carrier

Cellular replication is predicated on chemical energy conversion. In metabolism, energy carriers such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and acetyl-Coenzyme A (CoA) are used to activate monomers prior to polymerization. How could such molecules be formed in early metabolism? We investigated the enzyme Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (GAPDH) from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquatics and found the enzyme could support the formation of thioesters and thioacids, in addition to the native reaction of producing phosphate esters. This cross reactivity further opens the possibility that thioesters might have been an early energy currency - something first discussed by Racker in the late 50's. To our knowledge, this is also the first enzymatic reaction leading to a thioacid.