Polymerization on the rocks: negatively-charged alpha-amino acids.
Oligomers of the negatively-charged amino acids, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and O-phospho-L-serine are adsorbed by hydroxylapatite and illite with affinities that increase with oligomer length. In the case of oligo-glutamic acids adsorbed on hydroxylapatite, addition of an extra residue results in an approximately four-fold increase in the strength of adsorption. Oligomers much longer than the 7-mer are retained tenaciously by the mineral. Repeated incubation of short oligo-glutamic acids adsorbed on hydroxylapatite or illite with activated monomer leads to the accumulation of oligomers at least 45 units long. The corresponding reactions of aspartic acid and O-phospho-L-serine on hydroxylapatite are less effective in generating long oligomers, while illite fails to accumulate substantial amounts of long oligomers of aspartic acid or of O-phospho-L-serine.
Hill
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Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego, CA 92186-5800, USA.
Böhler
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Orgel
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D000327:Adsorption; D000600:Amino Acids, Dicarboxylic / Q000737:chemistry*; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D017886:Durapatite; D004563:Electrochemistry; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D008903:Minerals; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D010768:Phosphoserine / Q000737:chemistry
D000600:Amino Acids, Dicarboxylic; D008903:Minerals; D009842:Oligopeptides; D010455:Peptides; D010768:Phosphoserine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D017886:Durapatite