iron-sulfur

But it was surprising to find these protists producing iron-sulfur complexes without the aid of mitochondria.

To compare, I once simulated electron transfers between iron-sulfur clusters in an enzyme and, not knowing the exact kinetic parameters, used a monte carlo method to estimate variational effects.

All the ancient enzymes that use iron as catalyst use it in the form of iron-sulfur clusters, exactly like the iron that can be found in non-soluble iron sulfide minerals, so it can be presumed that the original catalysts were iron sulfide crystals alone, without the protein part that is now attached to the iron-sulfur cluster, in order to position it correctly inside the living cells.

(I'm not an expert, but my uninformed opinion is that GNA looks promising.) Also PHAs that is very different and the iron-sulfur idea that is even more difficult.

Some circumstantial evidence for this is that a major "base excision repair" component has a redox-active iron-sulfur cluster, and at least one study shows that the oxidation state of this iron-sulfur cluster can change how well it attaches to DNA.

The hypothesis described in this article sounds remarkably similar to one advanced by Günter Wächtershäuser back in 1988 [1], the key concepts being that a) "metabolism" preceded and eventually gave rise to life and b) arose in and among iron-sulfur mineral beds near oceanic volcanic vents.

Some circumstantial evidence for this is that a major "base excision repair" component has a redox-active iron-sulfur cluster, and at least one study shows that the oxidation state of this iron-sulfur cluster can change how well it attaches to DNA.

The hypothesis described in this article sounds remarkably similar to one advanced by Günter Wächtershäuser back in 1988 [1], the key concepts being that a) "metabolism" preceded and eventually gave rise to life and b) arose in and among iron-sulfur mineral beds near oceanic volcanic vents.