Compressing Proteomes: The Relevance of Medium Range Correlations

We study the nonrandomness of proteome sequences by analysing the correlations that arise between amino acids at a short and medium range, more specifically, between amino acids located 10 or 100 residues apart; respectively. We show that statistical models that consider these two types of correlation are more likely to seize the information contained in protein sequences and thus achieve good compression rates. Finally, we propose that the cause for this redundancy is related to the evolutionary origin of proteomes and protein sequences

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

Generalization possibilities of autocatalytic absolute enantioselective synthesis

A simple empirical formula enables the quantitative description of chiral autocatalysis. This formula was used for the prediction of the number of consecutive autocatalytic reaction cycles needed to obtain a high enantiomeric excess without chiral auxiliary or an asymmetric physical field (absolute enantioselective synthesis). The results show, that even less selective Soai-type systems can be used for absolute enantioselective synthesis, which, therefore, appears to be a fairly general phenomenon. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd

Generalization possibilities of autocatalytic absolute enantioselective synthesis

A simple empirical formula enables the quantitative description of chiral autocatalysis. This formula was used for the prediction of the number of consecutive autocatalytic reaction cycles needed to obtain a high enantiomeric excess without chiral auxiliary or an asymmetric physical field (absolute enantioselective synthesis). The results show, that even less selective Soai-type systems can be used for absolute enantioselective synthesis, which, therefore, appears to be a fairly general phenomenon. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd

Aqueous-phase quantitative NMR determination of amino acid enantiomer ratio by (13)C-NMR using chiral neodymium shift reagent

A neodymium-(S)-PDTA (PDTA = N,N,N',N'-tetrakis[(hydroxycarbonyl)methyl]-1,2-diaminopropane) complex was found exceptionally useful in the quantitative determination of enantiomer ratios of water-soluble natural amino acids by (13)C-NMR. The method is demonstrated on mixtures of l- and d-enantiomers of various amino acids. The interactions of the chiral shift reagent with the amino acid molecules were rationalized by molecular orbital calculations