Alpha-amino acid behaves differently from beta- or gamma-amino acids as treated by trimetaphosphate.
The condensation reactions of sodium trimetaphosphate with single amino acids, namely glycine, L-alanine, beta-alanine and gamma-aminobutyric acid or pairs of these amino acids were reinvestigated by electrospray ion-trap mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography. It was found when mixtures were treated by sodium trimetaphosphate only in the presence of alpha-amino acid dipeptides were formed. Without addition of alpha-amino acids, the beta-amino acid or gamma-aminobutyric acid could not form peptide either by themselves or with their mixtures under the same conditions. From the data it is concluded that phosphate might select alpha-amino acids to produce the peptides being important precursors for the origin of life.
Gao
X
X
The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Liu
Y
Y
Xu
P X
PX
Cai
Y M
YM
Zhao
Y F
YF
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011122:Polyphosphates / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
D000596:Amino Acids; D011122:Polyphosphates