NASA scientists discover cyanide compounds found in meteorites that may have helped power life on early Earth

Scientists, including those from NASA, have discovered compounds containing iron, cyanide, and carbon moxide in carbon-rich meteorites, that may have helped power life on early Earth. extraterrestrial compounds found in meteorites resemble active site of hydrogenases, which are enzymes that provide energy to bacteria and archaea by breaking down hydrogen gas (H2), NASA said in a statement.

results, published in journal Nature Communications, suggest that se compounds were also present on early Earth, before life began, during a period of time when Earth was constantly bombarded by meteorites and atmosphere was likely more hydrogen-rich.

"When most people think of cyanide, y think of spy movies -- a guy swallowing a pill, foaming at mouth and dying, but cyanide was probably an essential compound for building molecules necessary for life," said Karen Smith, senior research scientist at Boise State University in US.

Cyanide, a carbon atom bound to a nitrogen atom, is thought to be crucial for origin of life, as it is involved in n-biological synsis of organic compounds like ami acids and nucleobases, which are building blocks of proteins and nucleic acids used by all kwn forms of life.

Smith, along with Boise State assistant professor Mike Callahan, developed new analytical methods to extract and measure ancient traces of cyanide in meteorites. y found that meteorites containing cyanide belong to a group of carbon-rich meteorites called CM chondrites. Or s of meteorites tested, including a Martian meteorite, contained cyanide.

"Data collected by NASA's OSIRIS-REx craft of asteroid Bennu indicate that it is related to CM chondrites," said Jason Dworkin of NASA's Goddard Flight Center in US.

"OSIRIS-REx will deliver a sample from Bennu to study on Earth in 2023. We will search for se very compounds to try to connect Bennu to kwn meteorites and to understand potential delivery of prebiotic compounds such as cyanide, which may have helped start life on early Earth or or bodies in solar system," Dworkin said.

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Researchers were surprised to discover that cyanide, along with carbon moxide (CO), were binding with iron to form stable compounds in meteorites. y identified two different iron cya-carbonyl complexes in meteorites using high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

"One of most interesting observations from our study is that se iron cya-carbonyl complexes resemble portions of active sites of hydrogenases, which have a very distinct structure," Callahan said.

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Hydrogenases are present in almost all modern bacteria and archaea and are widely believed to be ancient in origin. Hydrogenases are large proteins, but active site -- region where chemical reactions take place -- happens to be a much smaller metal-organic compound contained within protein, according to Callahan. It is this compound that resembles cyanide-bearing compounds team discovered in meteorites.

An enduring mystery regarding origin of life is how biology could have arisen from n-biological chemical processes. similarities between active sites in hydrogenase enzymes and cyanide compounds team found in meteorites suggests that n-biological processes in parent asteroids of meteorites and on ancient Earth could have me molecules useful to emerging life.

"Cyanide and carbon moxide attached to a metal are unusual and rare in enzymes. Hydrogenases are exception.

"When you compare structure of se iron cya-carbonyl complexes in meteorites to se active sites in hydrogenases, it makes you wonder if re was a link between two," Smith ded.

"It's possible that iron cya-carbonyl complexes may have been a precursor to se active sites and later incorporated into proteins billions of years ago. se complexes probably acted as sources of cyanide on early Earth as well," Smith said.

(Except heline, changes were me to original PTI story by Republic World staff)