{
  "abstract": "The origin of life required the emergence of metabolism, an autocatalytic network of enzymatic reactions that synthesize amino acids, nucleotides, and cofactors. At the origin of metabolism, there were no enzymes-how did it start? Empirical studies addressing early metabolic evolution are lacking. Harnessing protein structures for metabolic enzymes, we identify intermediate states in primordial metabolic assembly. We show that enzymatic metabolism in the universal common ancestor was incomplete, undergoing final assembly independently in the lineages leading to bacteria and archaea. Native transition metals-iron, cobalt, nickel, and palladium-served as the catalytic forerunners of both enzymes and cofactors at metabolic origin, while phosphite supplied energy, as it phosphorylates adenosine 5'-monophosphate to adenosine 5'-diphosphate and serine to phosphoserine using native metal catalysts in water. Phosphite and native metals occur in serpentinizing hydrothermal systems, identifying an energy-supplying, catalytic site of metabolic origin. Cofactors liberated nascent metabolism from native metal catalysts, engendering its autocatalytic state.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute of Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany",
    "Biomathematics Research Centre, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand",
    "Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany",
    "Biocenter MS-Platform, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany",
    "University of Strasbourg, CNRS, ISIS, Strasbourg, France",
    "Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany",
    "Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany",
    "Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada",
    "Catalysis and Energy Materials Group, IMDEA Materials Institute, Madrid, Spain",
    "Department of Heterogeneous Catalysis, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany",
    "Microcosm Earth Center, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 17,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Natalia Mrnjavac",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-2849-6304"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Nadja K. Hoffmann",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-3294-5112"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Manon Laura Schlikker",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-8175-5155"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Maximilian Burmeister"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Loraine Schwander"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Carolina García García",
      "orcid": "0009-0005-8617-2085"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Max Brabender",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-4983-5387"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Mike Steel",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7015-4644"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Daniel H. Huson",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2961-604X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sabine U Metzger",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9722-8495"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Quentin Dherbassy",
      "orcid": "0009-0005-6089-5277"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Bernhard Schink",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0253-5423"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Mirko Basen",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1001-9245"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        7
      ],
      "name": "Joseph Moran",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7851-6133"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8,
        9
      ],
      "name": "Harun Tüysüz",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8552-7028"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "Martina Preiner",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5137-5556"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "William F. Martin",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1478-6449"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/99pprsqpnmaph.bib",
  "cited_by": 9,
  "doi": "10.1126/sciadv.aef3128",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "99pprsqpnmaph",
  "issns": [
    "2375-2548"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aef3128",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
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      "openalex",
      "3103|Origins and Evolution of Life"
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  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC13440417",
  "pmid": "42555707",
  "published": "2026-08-05",
  "publisher": "American Association for the Advancement of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/99pprsqpnmaph.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:26:43Z",
      "native_id": "W7172546054",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aef3128"
    }
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "openalex:3103|Origins and Evolution of Life",
      "subfield": "general"
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  ],
  "title": "Intermediate stages in the origin of metabolism at a phosphorylating hydrothermal vent",
  "title_text": "Intermediate stages in the origin of metabolism at a phosphorylating hydrothermal vent",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-06T13:20:25Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/99pprsqpnmaph",
  "venue": "Science Advances",
  "versions": []
}