Prebiotic synthesis of amino acids from formaldehyde and hydroxylamine in a modified sea medium

Sakurai, Michiharu; Yanagawa, Hiroshi

doi:10.1007/bf00933655

Cited by 29 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Urea, for one, is considered a key prebiotic compound (Horneck & BaumstarkKhan 2012). An endogeneous formation (gas phase as well as liquid phase) of urea is discussed extensively and multiple pathways to form urea exist (Lowe et al 1963;Lohrmann 1972;Ferris et al 1974;Hubbard et al 1975;Sakurai & Yanagawa 1984;Miller 1993;Shapiro 1999). However, a purely endogeneous formation is under debate, due to the seemingly low concentration of cyanates in the oceans of early Earth (Miller 1993) and a limited stability of cyanates at pH values lower than six; at this pH cyanates can hydrolyze to hydrogen cyanide at timescales of geological range (Miller & Orgel 1974).…”

Section: Astrophysical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Formation of Amide Polymers via Carbonyl–amino Group Linkages in Energetically Processed Ices of Astrophysical Relevance

Förstel

Maksyutenko

Jones

et al. 2016

ApJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We report on the formation of organic amide polymers via carbonyl-amino group linkages in carbon monoxide and ammonia bearing energetically processed ices of astrophysical relevance. The first group comprises molecules with one carboxyl group and an increasing number of amine moieties starting with formamide (45 u), urea (60 u), and hydrazine carboxamide (75 u). The second group consists of species with two carboxyl (58 u) and up to three amine groups (73 u, 88 u, and 103 u). The formation and polymerization of these linkages from simple inorganic molecules via formamide und urea toward amide polymers is discussed in an astrophysical and astrobiological context. Our results show that long chain molecules, which are closely related to polypeptides, easily form by energetically processing simple, inorganic ices at very low temperatures and can be released into the gas phase by sublimation of the ices in star-forming regions. Our experimental results were obtained by employing reflectron time-of-flight mass spectroscopy, coupled with soft, single photon vacuum ultraviolet photoionization; they are complemented by theoretical calculations.

show abstract

Section: Astrophysical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Formation of Amide Polymers via Carbonyl–amino Group Linkages in Energetically Processed Ices of Astrophysical Relevance

Förstel

Maksyutenko

Jones

et al. 2016

ApJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…When 0.1 M glycine and 0.1 M urea are heated together in a sealed tube at 100°C for 10 hr, Ͼ50% of the glycine is converted to N-carbamoyl glycine. The carbamoylating agent is cyanate, formed from the urea (45). When a similar reaction was run in an open system to facilitate ammonia loss, half of the urea was destroyed after 5 hr at 90°C and pH 7 (46).…”

Section: ϫ5mentioning

confidence: 99%

Prebiotic cytosine synthesis: A critical analysis and implications for the origin of life

Shapiro

1999

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

159

101

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A number of theories propose that RNA, or an RNA-like substance, played a role in the origin of life. Usually, such hypotheses presume that the Watson-Crick bases were readily available on prebiotic Earth, for spontaneous incorporation into a replicator. Cytosine, however, has not been reported in analyses of meteorites nor is it among the products of electric spark discharge experiments. The reported prebiotic syntheses of cytosine involve the reaction of cyanoacetylene (or its hydrolysis product, cyanoacetaldehyde), with cyanate, cyanogen, or urea. These substances undergo side reactions with common nucleophiles that appear to proceed more rapidly than cytosine formation. To favor cytosine formation, reactant concentrations are required that are implausible in a natural setting. Furthermore, cytosine is consumed by deamination (the half-life for deamination at 25°C is Ϸ340 yr) and other reactions. No reactions have been described thus far that would produce cytosine, even in a specialized local setting, at a rate sufficient to compensate for its decomposition. On the basis of this evidence, it appears quite unlikely that cytosine played a role in the origin of life. Theories that involve replicators that function without the Watson-Crick pairs, or no replicator at all, remain as viable alternatives.

show abstract

“…Results summarized below show that extremely thermophilic microspheres and peptide-like polymers can be formed in aqueous solution at 250-350·C. The four amino acids glycine, alanine, valine, and aspartic acid have been used as starting materials for prebiotic synthesis of polypeptides Sakurai and Yanagawa, 1984;Yanagawa, 1984). These amino acids were chosen because they are the more abundant of the amino acids formed in prebiotic synthesis experiments (Miller and Orgel, 1973), and are found in the Murchison meteorite (Kvenvolden et al, 1970).…”

Section: Formation Of Thermophilic Microspheres and Peptide-like Polymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some of the same products are formed on heating mixtures of urea and formaldehyde under the same reaction conditions (Sakurai and Yanagawa, 1984). …”

Section: Urea and Guanidinementioning

confidence: 99%

Marine Hydrothermal Systems and the Origin of Life

Holm¹

1992

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Prebiotic synthesis of amino acids from formaldehyde and hydroxylamine in a modified sea medium

Cited by 29 publications

References 10 publications

On the Formation of Amide Polymers via Carbonyl–amino Group Linkages in Energetically Processed Ices of Astrophysical Relevance

On the Formation of Amide Polymers via Carbonyl–amino Group Linkages in Energetically Processed Ices of Astrophysical Relevance

Prebiotic cytosine synthesis: A critical analysis and implications for the origin of life

Marine Hydrothermal Systems and the Origin of Life

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About