Independently developed iron-sulphur/thioester- and phosphate-driven chemical reactions would have set up two distinct reaction networks prior to coupling in a proto-metabolic system supporting a minimal organisation closure. Each chemical system assisted initially by simple catalysts and then by more complex cofactors would have provided the precursors of the small metabolites and monomer units along with their respective polymers through dehydrating template-independent assemblies. For example, acylation reactions mediated by activated thioester groups produced peptides, fatty acids and polyhydroxyalkanoates, while phosphorylation reactions by phosphorylating agents allowed the synthesis of polysaccharides, polyribonucleotides and polyphosphates. Here, we address how these independent chemical systems might fit together and shaped a proto-metabolic system, focusing specifically on cofactors as molecular fossils of metabolism. As a result, the proposed overview suggests that non-coded peptides capable of binding a variety of ligands, but in particular with a redox active versatility and/or group transfer potential could have facilitated the chemical connections that led to a minimal closure with a proto-metabolism. Later developments would have made it possible to establish a cellular organisation with more complex and interdependent metabolic pathways.

独立开发的铁硫/硫酯和磷酸盐驱动的化学反应会在耦合到支持最小组织闭合的原代谢系统之前建立两个不同的反应网络。每个化学系统最初由简单的催化剂辅助，然后由更复杂的辅助因子辅助，通过脱水不依赖模板的组装体提供小代谢物和单体单元的前体以及它们各自的聚合物。例如，由活化的硫酯基团介导的酰化反应产生肽、脂肪酸和多羟基链烷酸酯，而磷酸化剂的磷酸化反应允许合成多糖、多核糖核苷酸和多磷酸盐。这里，我们讨论了这些独立的化学系统如何组合在一起并形成一个原始代谢系统，特别关注辅助因子作为代谢的分子化石。因此，所提出的概述表明，非编码肽能够结合多种配体，但特别是具有氧化还原活性多功能性和/或基团转移潜力，可能促进了化学连接，从而导致与原型的最小闭合。 -代谢。后来的发展将使建立具有更复杂和相互依赖的代谢途径的细胞组织成为可能。但特别是具有氧化还原活性的多功能性和/或基团转移电位可能促进化学连接，从而导致与原始代谢的最小闭合。后来的发展将使建立具有更复杂和相互依赖的代谢途径的细胞组织成为可能。但特别是具有氧化还原活性的多功能性和/或基团转移电位可能会促进化学连接，从而导致与原始代谢的最小闭合。后来的发展将使建立具有更复杂和相互依赖的代谢途径的细胞组织成为可能。