Mineral surfaces help protect ancient protein sequences from degradation over millions of years
In short: Researchers using molecular dynamics simulations found that specific parts of proteins bind strongly to mineral surfaces, which helps them survive for much longer than DNA. By studying ostrich eggshells from ancient Tanzanian sites, the team demonstrated that certain protein domains are selectively preserved by their attachment to calcite.
The study used simulations of struthiocalcin-1 and -2 proteins to show that the parts of the protein with the highest binding energy to calcite are the ones that endure. This provides a mechanism for how biological information can persist in the fossil record.
While the researchers identified patterns of preservation in eggshells from 1.3 to 3.8 million years old, the findings rely on computational models and thermal age calculations rather than direct observation of the entire decay process.
Why it matters: Understanding how minerals shield proteins could expand our ability to study life from much deeper in the past.
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Sources
- Source: Research: Demarchi et al. (2016). Protein sequences bound to mineral surfaces persist into deep time. eLife. · cc-by
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