Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
9-2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Program
Biochemistry
Advisor
Rein Ulijn
Advisor
Tell Tuttle
Committee Members
Ruth Stark
Ronald Koder
Hiroshi Matsui
Subject Categories
Biochemistry | Biophysics | Materials Chemistry | Nanoscience and Nanotechnology | Physical Chemistry
Keywords
Peptides, Self-Assembly, Prebiotic Chemistry, Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Phage Display, Phase Separation
Abstract
All forms of life are based on biopolymers, which are made up of a selection of simple building blocks, such as amino acids, nucleotides, fatty acids and sugars. Their individual properties govern their interactions, giving rise to complex supramolecular structures with highly specialized functionality, including ligand recognition, catalysis and compartmentalization. In this thesis, we aim to answer the question whether short peptides could have acted as precursors of modern proteins during prebiotic evolution. Using a combination of experimental and computational techniques, we screened a large molecular search space for peptide sequences that are capable of forming supramolecular complexes with adenosine triphosphate (ATP), life’s ubiquitous energy currency, and uridine triphosphate (UTP). Our results demonstrate that peptides as short as heptamers can form dynamic supramolecular complexes, adapt their structure to a ligand upon binding, undergo phase-separation into spatially confined compartments and catalyze nucleotide-hydrolysis.
Recommended Citation
Kroiss, Daniela, "Minimalistic Peptide-Based Supramolecular Systems Relevant to the Chemical Origin of Life" (2019). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3308
Included in
Biochemistry Commons, Biophysics Commons, Materials Chemistry Commons, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Commons, Physical Chemistry Commons