Premium
Meteorite‐Assisted Phosphorylation of Adenosine Under Proton Irradiation Conditions
Author(s) -
Bizzarri Bruno M.,
Šponer Judit E.,
Šponer Jiri,
Cassone Giuseppe,
Kapralov Michail,
Timoshenko Gennady N.,
Krasavin Eugene,
Fanelli Giuseppina,
Timperio Anna Maria,
Di Mauro Ernesto,
Saladino Raffaele
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
chemsystemschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2570-4206
DOI - 10.1002/syst.201900039
Subject(s) - adenosine , chemistry , nucleotide , meteorite , phosphorylation , astrobiology , biochemistry , biology , gene
The abiotic phosphorylation of nucleosides is a major hurdle in origin‐of‐life studies. We suggest a plausible pathway for the synthesis of adenosine nucleotides from adenosine and NaH 2 PO 4 under radiative conditions mimicking the solar wind in the presence of a meteorite of the aubrite‐type. Hydroxyapatite also performed as a mineral heterogeneous phosphorus source. Adenosine polyphosphate derivatives and inorganic polyphosphates were detected in the reaction mixture, highlighting the high reactivity of the system. Both the total yield of adenosine nucleotides and the conversion of adenosine increased upon performing the irradiation in the presence of formamide (NH 2 CHO) and aubrite. These experiments simulate conditions in space or on an early Earth fluxed by protons from the solar wind, potentially mimicking a plausible prebiotic phosphorylation scenario.