Prebiotic Formation of Protoalkaloids within Alkaline Oceanic Hydrothermal Vents in the Hadean Seafloor as a Prerequisite for Evolutionary Biodiversity

Abstract

The primordial origin of abiotic nitrogen fixation, which is not dependent on prokaryotes, reflects the importance of available nitrogenous compounds as an essential requirement for the emergence of life and evolutionary biodiversity. It has been hypothesized that synthesis of oxidized nitrogen in the form of nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO ₂ ⁻), occurred in the prebiotic anoxic Hadean atmosphere. The sustained influx of atmospheric NO ₃ ⁻ and NO ₂ ⁻ into prebiotic Hadean oceans have been proposed to provide the essential substrates for abiotic synthesis of compounds such as ammonia (NH ₃) within oceanic alkaline hydrothermal vents in the seafloor. Because NH ₃ is an essential chemical precursor for nitrogen-containing molecular components of proteins and nucleic acids, abiotic production in high concentrations within Hadean oceanic alkaline hydrothermal vents is required for the emergence of diverse life forms. The chemical evolution of nitrogenous compounds includes the functional development of alkaloids. This commentary aims to critically discuss the possible origin of nitrogen-containing alkaloids and evolutionary processes in higher organisms, including the diverse biomedical mechanisms involved.