One-step formation of oligopeptide-like molecules from Glu and Asp in hydrothermal environments

Biopolymer accumulation in the absence of enzymes is an essential step for the chemical evolution of primitive life-like systems, and successful simulation experiments of prebiotic biopolymer formation have suggested that oligopeptides could have formed near submarine hydrothermal vent environments on primitive earth. However, the yield and length of oligopeptides -- typically limited to 6-mers -- seems to be inadequate. One reason is the rapid formation of diketopiperazines (DKPs) from dipeptides. In this study, using a hydrothermal microflow reactor, we show that the one-step synthesis of oligopeptide-like molecules of length up to 20-mers proceeds from Glu and Asp. Yields of up to 0.17-0.57% were obtained in an acidic solution within 183 s at 250-310 degrees C, as evaluated by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) analysis and different types of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses. The present study indicates that Glu and Asp may have played important roles in the chemical evolution of oligopeptide-like molecules in hydrothermal vent environments on primitive earth.