Feng Li, Daniel Fitz, Bernd M Rode
Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52a, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
Amino acids 2013 FebWe report a highly enantioselective oligomerization of isoleucine stereomers in the salt-induced peptide formation reaction under plausibly prebiotic earth conditions. Up to 6.5-fold superiority in reactivity of L-isoleucine was observed, compared to its D-enantiomer, after 14 evaporation cycles in the presence of Cu(2+) and NaCl. Since isoleucine is among the proteinogenic amino acids that were found enantioenriched in meteorites, this present work may further correlate the extraterrestrial delivery and endogenous production of biological homochirality by virtue of a protein constituent rather than the rarely occurring α-methylated amino acids.
Feng Li, Daniel Fitz, Bernd M Rode. Isoleucine as a possible bridge between exogenous delivery and terrestrial enhancement of homochirality. Amino acids. 2013 Feb;44(2):725-32
PMID: 22968664
View Full Text