Life’s First Circuitry: The Protein Machines That Lit the Spark of Metabolism
This article explores how life’s earliest metabolic systems may have evolved through the gradual development of protein-based nanomachines. It focuses on a special group of enzymes which are essential for energy flow in all living organisms. The authors suggest that early life may have originated with simple metal-binding peptides, which gradually gave rise to more complex protein structures. Over time, these increasingly sophisticated molecules contributed to the formation of the enzymes that drive modern metabolic processes.
The study outlines three major stages in this evolutionary journey from the formation of simple peptides to large dynamic proteins. These protein machines became the building blocks of life’s metabolic circuits, acting like biological versions of electrical components such as wires and batteries. The article emphasizes that the availability of metals on early Earth—like iron and nickel—played a key role in shaping which proteins evolved first. Overall, the paper presents a compelling view of how life’s energy systems may have emerged from simple chemistry to complex biology.
