α-Hydroxycarboxylic acids in the Murchison meteorite

Details α-Hydroxycarboxylic acids in the Murchison meteorite α-Hydroxycarboxylic acids in the Murchison meteorite

Mar 1978

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1978natur.272..443p&link_type=abstract

Nature, Volume 272, Issue 5652, pp. 443-444 (1978).

Computer Science

26

Scientific paper

A VARIETY of indigenous organic compounds have been detected in carbonaceous meteorites1-6, and of these, the amino acids have been the most extensively studied1,7-11. In addition to the amino acids commonly found in the proteins of terrestrial organisms, a large number of nonprotein amino acids have also been detected8. Moreover, the amino acids in meteorites exist as a racemic mixture, demonstrating their abiotic origin1,8-10. The general abundance pattern of amino acids in the Murchison meteorite is similar to that obtained in a typical prebiotic electric discharge experiment12. The mechanism of formation of amino acids in the electric discharge is by way of the Strecker synthesis, that is, the reaction of hydrogen cyanide, aldehydes and ammonia in aqueous solution, producing amino nitriles, which yield amino acids following acid hydrolysis13,14. In the electric discharge experiment, in addition to amino acid formation, the corresponding α-hydroxycarboxylic acids (hydroxy acids) are also produced by the reaction of hydrogen cyanide and aldehydes (the cyanohydrin synthesis). The ratio of hydroxy to amino acids depends on the amount of ammonia present in the system13,14. At high ammonia concentrations, amino acids are preferentially synthesised, whereas if ammonia is absent, only hydroxy acids are produced. Thus, the detection of hydroxy acids in carbonaceous meteorites would provide evidence in support of the hypothesis that the Strecker mechanism is responsible for the natural extraterrestrial synthesis of amino acids found in meteorites. In addition, the ratio of hydroxy to amino acids would provide some indication as to the ammonia content of the environment in which these compounds were synthesised. We report here the presence of seven α-hydroxycarboxylic acids in the Murchison meteorite, a type II carbonaceous chondrite.

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