News Reader.info

The emergence of protometabolic reactions that evolved into today’s metabolic pathways is unclear. Now, evidence suggests that the chemical origin of biological carbon metabolism may have

relied on the versatility of a single primitive C1 feedstock molecule — hydrogen cyanide. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access

via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription $32.99 / 30 

days cancel any time Learn more Subscribe to this journal Receive 12 print issues and online access $259.00 per year only $21.58 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on

SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about

institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES * Muchowska, K. B., Varma, S. J. & Moran, J. _Chem. Rev._ 120, 7708–7744 (2020). Article  CAS  Google

Scholar  * Orgel, L. E. _PLoS Biol._ 6, e18 (2008). Article  Google Scholar  * Wu, L.-F. & Sutherland, J. D. _Emerg. Top. Life Sci._ 3, 459–468 (2019). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  *

Harrison, S. A. & Lane, N. _Nat. Commun._ 9, 5176 (2018). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Patel, B. H., Percivalle, C., Ritson, D. J., Duffy, C. D. & Sutherland, J. D. _Nat. Chem._

7, 301–307 (2015). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Canavelli, P., Islam, S. & Powner, M. W. _Nature_ 571, 546–549 (2019). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Foden, C. S. et al. _Science_

370, 865–869 (2020). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Coggins, A. J. & Powner, M. W. _Nat. Chem._ 9, 310–317 (2017). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Ritson, D. J. _Sci. Adv._ 7, eabh3981

(2021). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Liu, Z. et al. _Nat. Chem._ 13, 1126–1132 (2021). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Yadav, M., Pulletikurti, S., Yerabolu, J. R. & Krishnamurthy, R.

_Nat. Chem_. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-021-00878-w (2022). Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION Author notes * Twitter: @drsaidulislam AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of

Chemistry, University College London, London, UK Saidul Islam * Department of Chemistry, King’s College London, London, UK Saidul Islam Authors * Saidul Islam View author publications You

can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Saidul Islam. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The author declares no competing

interests. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Islam, S. Cyanide at the origin of metabolism. _Nat. Chem._ 14, 123–125 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-021-00883-z Download citation * Published: 03 February 2022 * Issue Date: February 2022 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-021-00883-z SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided

by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative