Model for Origin of Monosaccharides: Synthesis of Sugars in Potentially Prebiotic Conditions

Reid, Caroline M.; Orgel, Leslie E.

doi:10.1038/216455a0

Cited by 147 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Most studies have employed heterogeneous catalysts, particularly suspensions of calcium hydroxide, but some homogeneous catalysts are known, for example, Pb ++ and Tl + ions. A few investigations of the reaction under near-neutral conditions in the presence of minerals have been reported (Gabel & Ponnamperuma, 1967;Reid & Orgel, 1967).…”

Section: The Butlerow (Formose) Synthesis Of Sugars From Formaldehydementioning

confidence: 99%

Prebiotic Chemistry and the Origin of the RNA World

Orgel

2004

Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

925

248

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The demonstration that ribosomal peptide synthesis is a ribozyme-catalyzed reaction makes it almost certain that there was once an RNA World. The central problem for origin-of-life studies, therefore, is to understand how a protein-free RNA World became established on the primitive Earth. We first review the literature on the prebiotic synthesis of the nucleotides, the nonenzymatic synthesis and copying of polynucleotides, and the selection of ribozyme catalysts of a kind that might have facilitated polynucleotide replication. This leads to a brief outline of the Molecular Biologists' Dream, an optimistic scenario for the origin of the RNA World. In the second part of the review we point out the many unresolved problems presented by the Molecular Biologists' Dream. This in turn leads to a discussion of genetic systems simpler than RNA that might have "invented" RNA. Finally, we review studies of prebiotic membrane formation.

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Section: The Butlerow (Formose) Synthesis Of Sugars From Formaldehydementioning

confidence: 99%

Prebiotic Chemistry and the Origin of the RNA World

Orgel

2004

Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

925

248

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“…The reaction has been observed to occur with HCHO as dilute as 0.01 M (Reid and Orgel 1967;Schwartz and De Graaf 1993a), although there are accounts of its reaction as dilute as 10 À3 M (Gabel and Ponnamperuma 1967). These concentrations may have been difficult to achieve in the bulk early oceans.…”

Section: Environmental Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many minerals appear to catalyze the formose reaction, for example, various clays, apatite, and calcite were found to be catalysts (Gabel and Ponnamperuma 1967;Reid and Orgel 1967;Cairns-Smith et al 1972;Schwartz and de Graaf 1993b). The reaction can be carried out at lower pH and in the absence of glycolaldehyde initiator in the presence of some minerals (Schwartz and de Graaf 1993a).…”

Section: Mineral Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Under the basic reaction conditions which allow the formose reaction to occur, sugar decomposition into tars (Reid and Orgel 1967;Shapiro 1988), furans, and other low molecular weight degradation products (De Bruijn et al 1986;Cooper et al 2001) is also facilitated (Larralde et al 1995). This has been shown to be less significant depending on the presence of high concentrations of inorganic species which may act as stabilizers Lambert et al 2010).…”

Section: Sugar Degradationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Facula, Faculae

Wagner¹

2015

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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“…Reid and Orgel [110] recognised the relevance of clay minerals in the catalysis of the formose reaction. Studies provide evidence for the ability of clay minerals to concentrate and polymerise amino acids, e.g.…”

Section: Contemporary Geological Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stochastic Prebiotic Chemistry within Realistic Geological Systems

et al. 2016

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This review introduces its readers to a ‘stochastic approach’ to origins of life research, from the viewpoints of both prebiotic chemistry and geology. The idea of a “primordial soup” has been subject to extensive criticism from thermodynamic, biochemical and geochemical perspectives, yet recent advancements have made clearer the plausibility of this theory. Herein, we review the theoretical and experimental approaches which have previously been explored, among these modelling, laboratory‐confined and geologically motivated experimentation. Of these, we consider organo‐mineral interactions, uniting aspects of prebiotic chemistry and geology, to be an especially promising way forward. However, we aim here to advance current approaches by advocating a methodology involving chemical systems and their stochastic reactivity on heterogeneous geological surfaces. This models the origins of life as a continuity of chemical reactions in an analogue to the early Earth (Hadean) environment.

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Model for Origin of Monosaccharides: Synthesis of Sugars in Potentially Prebiotic Conditions

Cited by 147 publications

References 2 publications

Prebiotic Chemistry and the Origin of the RNA World

Prebiotic Chemistry and the Origin of the RNA World

Facula, Faculae

Stochastic Prebiotic Chemistry within Realistic Geological Systems

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