Pyrite suspended in artificial sea water catalyzes hydrolysis of adsorbed ATP: enhancing effect of acetate.
Orig Life Evol Biosph
; 29(4): 361-74, 1999 Aug.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10472626
ABSTRACT
Minerals have been implicated in different catalytic processes during chemical evolution. It has been proposed that exergonic synthesis of pyrite (FeS2) could have served to promote the endergonic synthesis of biomonomers in early stages of life formation on Earth. The present study was aimed to investigate whether pyrite can adsorb nucleotides and oxo acids in the potentially mild prebiotic conditions found away from the hot hydrothermal vents. It is shown that pyrite strongly adsorbs adenosine 5'-triphosphate in an artificial medium that simulates primordial aqueous environments, and that adsorption is enhanced in the presence of acetate and in an oxygen-free atmosphere. Moreover, the mineral catalyzes the sequential hydrolysis of the gamma and beta phosphoanhydride bonds of the nucleotide.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Água do Mar
/
Sulfetos
/
Trifosfato de Adenosina
/
Ferro
/
Acetatos
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Orig Life Evol Biosph
Assunto da revista:
BIOLOGIA
/
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
Ano de publicação:
1999
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Brasil