Phosphorylation on the Primitive Earth: Phosphorylation by way of Inorganic Phosphate as a Potential Prebiotic Process

Rabinowitz, J.; Chang, Sherwood; Ponnamperuma, Cyril

doi:10.1038/218442a0

Cited by 65 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Dibasic salts (such as Na 2 HPO 4 ) were considerably less effective, while tribasic salts (such as Na 3 PO 4 or Ca 3 PO 4 2 ) produced negligible phosphorylation. The mechanism of the reaction involves an initial step during which condensed phosphates are produced, followed by phosphorylation of nucleoside (Rabinowitz et al, 1968). Lohrmann and Orgel (1971) extended this method by demonstrating that efficient yields of nucleotides could be obtained even from neutral or basic phosphates in the presence of urea, ammonium chloride and ammonium bicarbonate.…”

Section: Thermal Phosphorylation Of Nucleosidesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Thermal Synthesis of Nucleoside H-Phosphonates Under Mild Conditions

Graaf

Schwartz

2005

Orig Life Evol Biosph

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Nucleosides react rapidly with ammonium phosphite ((NH4)2HPO3) at 60 degrees C to produce good yields of nucleoside-5'-phosphite monoesters within 24 h. Under the same conditions, ammonium phosphate is unreactive, producing low yields of nucleotide only after extended reactions. These results confirm earlier suggestions that nucleoside H-phosphonates and their possible condensation products may have been produced on the primitive earth more easily than nucleotides.

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Section: Thermal Phosphorylation Of Nucleosidesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Thermal Synthesis of Nucleoside H-Phosphonates Under Mild Conditions

Graaf

Schwartz

2005

Orig Life Evol Biosph

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“…Thermal syntheses of pyrophosphate has been reported, including the heating of Ca (H 2 PO 4 ) 2 ·H 2 O and other dihydrogen phosphates at 160°C (Rabinowitz et al 1968), but these acidic species are not found as minerals in nature today (Keefe and Miller 1995). Of greater relevance is the observation that pyrophosphate (and oligophosphates up to the octamer or longer depending on reaction time and water removal) can be formed from heating brushite in the dry state at 500°C, and more slowly at lower temperatures (Gedulin and Arrhenius 1994).…”

Section: Relevance To Prebiotic Chemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Phosphate Solubility and the Cyanate-Mediated Synthesis of Pyrophosphate

Hagan

Parker

Steuerwald

et al. 2006

Orig Life Evol Biosph

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The justification for a less alkaline primordial ocean (than present) is briefly reviewed, along with constraints on aqueous phosphate under such conditions. Based on the assumption that CaHPO(4) dihydrate determined the availability of phosphorus species, we have carried out laboratory simulations to determine equilibrium concentrations as a function of pH (in PIPES buffer) with added NaCl and CaCl(2). Consistent with expectations, solubility declines with higher pH and [CaCl(2)], but increases only slightly with [NaCl]. Significantly, PIPES shows no specific effect on the dissolution beyond its influence on pH and ionic strength. Data are also presented on the synthesis of pyrophosphate from the NaOCN/CaHPO(4).2H(2)O system, which could have provided a source of this phosphate anhydride on the early Earth.

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“…Inorganic OP salts are not known to be effective phosphorylating agents while condensed phosphates or polyphosphates, on the other hand serve as excellent phosphorylating agents [34]. Condensed phosphates or polyphosphates are long chain compounds that are linked together by the removal of water from OP forming a stable P-O-P bond [51].…”

Section: Prebiotic Phosphorylation Reactions By Using Condensed/high mentioning

confidence: 99%

Prebiotic Phosphorylation Reactions on the Early Earth

Gull

2014

Challenges

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Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for life. It occurs in living beings in the form of phosphate, which is ubiquitous in biochemistry, chiefly in the form of C-O-P (carbon, oxygen and phosphorus), C-P, or P-O-P linkages to form life. Within prebiotic chemistry, several key questions concerning phosphorus chemistry have developed: what were the most likely sources of P on the early Earth? How did it become incorporated into the biological world to form the P compounds that life employs today? Can meteorites be responsible for the delivery of P? What were the most likely solvents on the early Earth and out of those which are favorable for phosphorylation? Or, alternatively, were P compounds most likely produced in relatively dry environments? What were the most suitable temperature conditions for phosphorylation? A route to efficient formation of biological P compounds is still a question that challenges astrobiologists. This article discusses these important issues related to the origin of biological P compounds.

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Phosphorylation on the Primitive Earth: Phosphorylation by way of Inorganic Phosphate as a Potential Prebiotic Process

Cited by 65 publications

References 10 publications

Thermal Synthesis of Nucleoside H-Phosphonates Under Mild Conditions

Thermal Synthesis of Nucleoside H-Phosphonates Under Mild Conditions

Phosphate Solubility and the Cyanate-Mediated Synthesis of Pyrophosphate

Prebiotic Phosphorylation Reactions on the Early Earth

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