The amino acid and hydrocarbon contents of the Paris meteorite: Insights into the most primitive <scp>CM</scp> chondrite

Martins, Zita; Modica, Paola; Zanda, B.; d’Hendecourt, Louis Le Sergeant

doi:10.1111/maps.12442

Cited by 81 publications

(119 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…However, we should note that alternative scenario of the theory of exogenous synthesis regards impacts of extraterrestrial bodies not only as a source of shock wave energy and degassed reducing atmospheres but also as a direct source of biomolecules. These assumptions are supported by recent findings of a wide palette of organic substances (59) and biomolecules in chondritic meteorites (60,61).…”

Section: Significancesupporting

confidence: 68%

Formation of nucleobases in a Miller–Urey reducing atmosphere

Ferus

Pietrucci

Saitta

et al. 2017

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

130

126

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The Miller-Urey experiments pioneered modern research on the molecular origins of life, but their actual relevance in this field was later questioned because the gas mixture used in their research is considered too reducing with respect to the most accepted hypotheses for the conditions on primordial Earth. In particular, the production of only amino acids has been taken as evidence of the limited relevance of the results. Here, we report an experimental work, combined with state-of-the-art computational methods, in which both electric discharge and laser-driven plasma impact simulations were carried out in a reducing atmosphere containing NH 3 + CO. We show that RNA nucleobases are synthesized in these experiments, strongly supporting the possibility of the emergence of biologically relevant molecules in a reducing atmosphere. The reconstructed synthetic pathways indicate that small radicals and formamide play a crucial role, in agreement with a number of recent experimental and theoretical results. The following explorations showed that a broad array of amino acids could be synthesized, but there was no evidence that all of the fundamental molecules of the RNA genetic code could be produced alongside others in this type of experiment (2-5). Additionally, the significant persistence of reducing atmospheres in a geological timescale has been seriously debated (6). Finally, many scientists have claimed that this experiment is not related to early-Earth conditions and does not provide fundamental building blocks (i.e., nucleobases) important for the evolution of early life possibly based on RNA (7-13). In 2001, Saladino, Di Mauro, and coworkers (14) proposed that the parent molecule for the one-pot synthesis of nucleobases is formamide (15-23). Their team, together with other authors, demonstrated the formation of (not only) fundamental nucleobases for the origin of RNA in experiments involving the heating of formamide in presence of manifold catalysts (17,(24)(25)(26), upon UV irradiation (27), proton (28) and heavy-particle radiation (29), exposition to shock waves (18), etc. Recently, Hörst et al. (30) also referred to a positive result on qualitative detection of RNA nucleobases and manifold amino acids from tholines created in a N 2 , CH 4 , CO mixture. Their experiment simulated the atmosphere of Titan upon electric discharge. Such experimental results as well as theoretical expectations (31) show that reduced, relatively reactive atmospheres are likely to be more efficient for the synthesis of biomolecules (32). However, it should be noted that several papers report also the formation of biomolecules under neutral (N 2 , CO 2 , H 2 O) conditions (33-35). In our study, we found an interconnection between the original ideas of the pioneering Miller-Urey studies devoted to prebiotic synthesis in a reducing atmosphere and recent results identifying the chemistry of formamide as a source for the synthesis of nucleobases. In addition to traditional hydrogen cyanide (HCN)-based or reducing atmosphere-based concept...

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Section: Significancesupporting

confidence: 68%

Formation of nucleobases in a Miller–Urey reducing atmosphere

Ferus

Pietrucci

Saitta

et al. 2017

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

130

126

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“…18,19 Amino acids may have originated on Earth or may have extra-terrestrial origins, possibly through meteoritic bombardment, [20][21][22] and the slight enantiomeric excesses (ee) of these amino acids could have been amplified through methods such as eutectic concentration. 23 The amino acid catalysed reactions studied to date have required stoichiometric amounts of ''catalyst'', extended reaction times, and give only trace amounts of carbohydrate products in low stereochemical purity.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Prebiotic synthesis of 2-deoxy-d-ribose from interstellar building blocks promoted by amino esters or amino nitriles

et al. 2017

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“…This is further supported by the low contents of amino acids and lack of alkylated PAHs in the Paris meteorite, the abundance and distribution of both types of molecules likely being related to episodes of aqueous alteration within carbonaceous asteroids (Martins et al. ). This is also in agreement with the solid‐state 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the Paris IOM, which show a higher proportion of aliphatic carbons and organic radicals relative to the Murchison IOM (Vinogradoff et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Primordial heavy noble gases in the pristine Paris carbonaceous chondrite

Bekaert

Marrocchi

Meshik

et al. 2018

Meteorit & Planetary Scien

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The Paris carbonaceous chondrite represents the most pristine carbonaceous chondrite, providing a unique opportunity to investigate the composition of early solar system materials prior to the onset of significant aqueous alteration. A dual origin (namely from the inner and outer solar system) has been demonstrated for water in the Paris meteorite parent body (Piani et al. 2018 ). Here, we aim to evaluate the contribution of outer solar system (cometary‐like) water ice to the inner solar system water ice using Xe isotopes. We report Ar, Kr, and high‐precision Xe isotopic measurements within bulk CM 2.9 and CM 2.7 fragments, as well as Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe isotope compositions of the insoluble organic matter ( IOM ). Noble gas signatures are similar to chondritic phase Q with no evidence for a cometary‐like Xe component. Small excesses in the heavy Xe isotopes relative to phase Q within bulk samples are attributed to contributions from presolar materials. CM 2.7 fragments have lower Ar/Xe relative to more pristine CM 2.9 fragments, with no systematic difference in Xe contents. We conclude that Kr and Xe were little affected by aqueous alteration, in agreement with (1) minor degrees of alteration and (2) no significant differences in the chemical signature of organic matter in CM 2.7 and CM 2.9 areas (Vinogradoff et al. 2017 ). Xenon contents in the IOM are larger than previously published data of Xe in chondritic IOM , in line with the Xe component in Paris being pristine and preserved from Xe loss during aqueous alteration/thermal metamorphism.

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The amino acid and hydrocarbon contents of the Paris meteorite: Insights into the most primitive CM chondrite

Cited by 81 publications

References 71 publications

Formation of nucleobases in a Miller–Urey reducing atmosphere

Formation of nucleobases in a Miller–Urey reducing atmosphere

Prebiotic synthesis of 2-deoxy-d-ribose from interstellar building blocks promoted by amino esters or amino nitriles

Primordial heavy noble gases in the pristine Paris carbonaceous chondrite

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