One can see the reflected image of a left hand when holding a right hand in front of a mirror. The left- and right-handed versions of the organic molecule come in mirror-image pairs. The Greek word for hand is a hallmark of organic compounds. Life almost always chooses to use one of the two mirror-image twins, despite the fact that organic molecules are rich in carbon atoms. The left-handed and right-handed sugars are used in life.
How and why Homochirality came about remains a mystery. A 50% mixture of left and right-handed molecule leaves to favor one over the other is a phenomenon called chiral symmetry breaking. For investigating the origin of life, as well as more practical applications, it is important to understand the origin of homochirality.
A model proposes a new explanation for the origin of life on Earth.
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Habitats rich in energy sources are thought to have begun life. Prof. Dr. Tlusty and Tsvi are looking at Earth scenarios. The Institute for Basic Science in South Korea has a center for soft and living matter. When the team used a mathematical model and system simulation to emulate a well-stirred solution of different chemical elements in a container, they found that such systems tend to break the mirror symmetry.
There are chemical networks that adapt to maximize energy harvesting. Previously, it was believed that the breaking of symmetry requires multiple loops of auto-catalysis. The underlying mechanism of symmetry breaking is very general and doesn’t require sophisticated network architectures. To achieve more efficient harvesting of energy from the environment, the self-configuration of the reaction network is needed.
The model developed by Piñeros and Tlusty showed that highly-dissipating systems and large energy differences are more likely to break the symmetry. It is reasonable to believe that transitions are likely to occur in random chemical reaction systems because of the calculations. The group demonstrated a model for energy harvesting that explains how homochirality could have arisen from the harsh environment of the early planet Earth.
The model proposes a mechanism that explains how complexity can grow as the system learns to exploit different environments. The hallmark of any complex system is the ability to adapt to an environment. It is possible that these findings explain the breaking of symmetry in more complex biological processes.
More information: William D. Piñeros et al, Spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking in a random driven chemical system, Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29952-8