title: Peptide bond formation in gas-phase ion/molecule reactions of amino acids: a novel proposal for the synthesis of prebiotic oligopeptides.
abstract: There is a general fascination with regard to the origin of life on Earth. There is an intriguing possibility that prebiotic precursors of life occurred in the interstellar space and were then transported to the early Earth by comets, asteroids and meteorites. It is probable that some part of the prebiotic molecules may have been generated by gas-phase ion/molecule reactions. Here we show experimentally that gaseous ion/molecule reactions of the amino acids, Glu and Met, may promote the synthesis of protonated dipeptides such as (Glu-Glu)H(+) and (Glu-Met)H(+) and their chemical growth to larger protonated peptides.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wincel
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Fokkens
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Nibbering
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D005740:Gases; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D007477:Ions; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008715:Methionine / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D000069497:Origin of Life; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D004151:Dipeptides; D005740:Gases; D007477:Ions; D010455:Peptides; C406458:glutamylmethionine; C406459:methionylglutamic acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D008715:Methionine