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A Prebiotic Synthesis of Pterins
Margarita R Marín-Yaseli1, Cristina Mompeán1, Marta Ruiz-Bermejo2
1Departamento de Evolución Molecular, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. Torrejón-Ajalvir km 4, 28850 Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid (Spain).
Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|August 11, 2015
Summary
Researchers demonstrated the prebiotic formation of pterins, essential cofactor building blocks, from cyanide polymers. This finding supports the hypothesis that cyanide chemistry was crucial for the origin of life on Earth.
Area of Science:
- Origin of Life studies
- Prebiotic Chemistry
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- The prebiotic synthesis of cofactors, essential molecules for early life, remains poorly understood.
- Cofactors are hypothesized to be "molecular fossils" from early life stages.
- Previous research suggested a prebiotic hydrocyanic acid origin for cofactor building blocks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prebiotic formation of pterins, a class of cofactors, from cyanide polymerizations.
- To explore the role of aqueous aerosols in enhancing pterin formation.
- To provide experimental evidence for the significance of cyanide chemistry in prebiotic synthesis.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of insoluble ammonium cyanide (NH4CN) polymers under simulated prebiotic conditions.
- Analysis of NH4CN polymers to identify and quantify pterin compounds.
- Investigation of the effect of aqueous aerosols on pterin yield and composition.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the formation of a set of pterins directly from cyanide polymerizations.
- Observed that aqueous aerosols significantly increase the relative abundance of pterins in NH4CN polymers.
- Identified pterins within NH4CN polymers, alongside previously detected biomonomers.
Conclusions:
- Cyanide polymerizations can yield the core structures of essential cofactors like pterins.
- Aqueous aerosols may have played a vital role in facilitating prebiotic cofactor synthesis.
- These findings underscore the critical importance of cyanide chemistry in the early stages of prebiotic evolution and the origin of life.
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