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Pathways for the formation and evolution of peptides in prebiotic environments
Grégoire Danger1, Raphaël Plasson, Robert Pascal
1Spectrométries et Dynamique Moléculaire, Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires (UMR CNRS 7345, Université de Provence) - Centre de St Jérôme - case 252, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niémen, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20, France. gregoire.danger@univ-provence.fr
Chemical Society Reviews
|June 13, 2012
Summary
Abiotic processes likely provided early α-amino acids. This review explores chemical pathways and self-organization in peptides, contributing to understanding the origin of life and dynamically stable systems.
Area of Science:
- Astrobiology and prebiotic chemistry.
- Origin of life studies.
- Systems chemistry.
Background:
- α-Amino acids are readily formed through abiotic processes.
- Their precise role in the origin of life remains unclear.
- Early Earth conditions may have favored amino acid and peptide self-organization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review chemical pathways for self-organization in a peptide world.
- To discuss the contribution of amino acids and peptides to the origin of life.
- To propose a scheme emphasizing dynamically stable, far-from-equilibrium states.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of chemical pathways.
- Analysis of self-organization principles.
- Systems chemistry approach to peptide formation.
Main Results:
- Identified plausible chemical routes for peptide self-organization.
- Highlighted the potential for amino acids and peptides to form complex systems.
- Proposed a framework for understanding far-from-equilibrium states in early chemical systems.
Conclusions:
- Amino acids and peptides likely played a crucial role in the origin of life through self-organization.
- Systems chemistry offers a valuable perspective for origin of life research.
- Further investigation into dynamically stable states is warranted.
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