Nonprotein amino acids in the murchison meteorite.
Twelve nonprotein amino acids appear to be present in the Murchison meteorite. The identity of eight of them has been conclusively established as N-methylglycine, beta-alanine, 2-methylalanine, alpha-amino-n-butyric acid, beta-amino-n-butyric acid, gamma-amino-n-butyric acid, isovaline, and pipecolic acid. Tentative evidence is presented for the presence of N-methylalanine, N-ethylglycine, beta-aminoisobutyric acid, and norvaline. These amino acids appear to be extraterrestrial in origin and may provide new evidence for the hypothesis of chemical evolution.
Kvenvolden
K A
KA
Exobiology Division, Ames Research Center, NASA, Moffett Field, California 94305.
Lawless
J G
JG
Ponnamperuma
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C