Isotope chirality and asymmetric autocatalysis: a possible entry to biological chirality.
Natural-abundance isotopic substitution in isotopically prochiral groups of otherwise achiral molecules can provide stochastically formed enantiomeric excesses which exceed the sensitivity threshold of sensitive asymmetric autocatalytic (Soai-type) reactions. This kind of induction of chirality should be taken into consideration in in vitro model experiments and offer a new kind of entry into primary prebiotic or early biotic enantioselection in the earliest stages of molecular evolution.
Institute of Stochastics, University of Technology and Economics, Muegyetem rkp. 3 H ép., Budapest, Hungary.
Béla
B
Barabás
Luciano
L
Caglioti
Károly
K
Micskei
Claudia
C
Zucchi
Gyula
G
Pályi
D001695:Biology / Q000379:methods*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D002384:Catalysis; D002621:Chemistry / Q000379:methods; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D007554:Isotopes; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011336:Probability; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics
D007554:Isotopes; D002244:Carbon; D006859:Hydrogen