News Release

Proteinaceous amino acids and prebiotic chemistry

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Proteinaceous Amino Acids More Readily Form Short Chains that Resemble Modern Proteins Chains

image: Proteinaceous amino acids more readily form short chains that resemble modern proteins chains than non-proteinaceous amino acids. view more 

Credit: Image courtesy of Luke J. Leman.

A study finds that proteinaceous amino acids, which are incorporated into protein chains by living organisms, more readily form short chains that resemble modern proteins than nonproteinaceous amino acids, suggesting that proteinaceous amino acids may have been selected during the origin of life on Earth based on their inherent reactivity advantages over nonproteinaceous amino acids, according to the authors.

###

Article #19-04849: "Selective incorporation of proteinaceous over nonproteinaceous cationic amino acids in model prebiotic oligomerization reactions," by Moran Frenkel-Pinter et al.

MEDIA CONTACT: Loren Dean Williams, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA; tel: 404-894-9752; e-mail: loren.williams@chemistry.gatech.edu


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.