Enantiomeric excess of amino acids in hydrothermal environments.
In a simulated hydrothermal environment allowing fluid circulation between hot and cold regions repeatedly, D- and L-alanine molecules were racemized differently depending upon the concentration of alanine, whether D or L, present in the solution. In particular, the relative population of L-alanine was slightly more enhanced compared to that of D-alanine when the concentration of alanine increased. Enantiomeric excess of L-alanine was also observed when metallic ions such as zinc were sufficiently present in the environments. Hydrothermal environments in the primitive ocean could have maintained the capacity of selectively retaining enantiomeric excess in favor of L-amino acids once the concentration of amino acids could reach a sufficiently high level.
Nemoto
Atsushi
A
Department of BioEngineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka 940-2188, Japan.
Horie
Minako
M
Imai
Ei-Ichi
E
Honda
Hajime
H
Hatori
Kuniyuki
K
Matsuno
Koichiro
K
D000409:Alanine / Q000737:chemistry*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D019418:Evolution, Chemical; D006358:Hot Temperature; D013237:Stereoisomerism
D000409:Alanine