2020/10/25 by Avinash Vicholous Dass, Dass, Avinash Vicholous, Thomas Georgelin +13 · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Biological sciences #FOS: Physical sciences #Molecular Networks (q-bio.MN) #Origins and Evolution of Life #Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism #Protein Structure and Dynamics #Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2010.13188
openalex publication_date 2020/10/25 · openalex created_date 2022/07/25 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The exclusive presence of \β-D-ribofuranose in nucleic acids is still a\nconundrum in prebiotic chemistry, given that pyranose species are substantially\nmore stable at equilibrium. However, a precise characterisation of the relative\nfuranose/pyranose fraction at temperatures higher than about 50 , rm oC is\nstill lacking. Here, we employ a combination of NMR measurements and\nstatistical mechanics modelling to predict a population inversion between\nfuranose and pyranose at equilibrium at high temperatures. More importantly, we\nshow that a steady temperature gradient may steer an open isomerisation network\ninto a non-equilibrium steady state where furanose is boosted beyond the limits\nset by equilibrium thermodynamics. Moreover, we demonstrate that nonequilibrium\nselection of furanose is maximum at optimal dissipation, as gauged by the\ntemperature gradient and energy barriers for isomerisation. The predicted\noptimum is compatible with temperature drops found in hydrothermal vents\nassociated with extremely fresh lava flows on the seafloor.\n