Meteorite‐Assisted Phosphorylation of Adenosine Under Proton Irradiation Conditions

The abiotic phosphorylation of nucleosides is a major hurdle in origin-of-life studies. We suggest a plausible pathway for the synthesis of adenosine nucleotides from adenosine and NaH2PO4 under radiative conditions mimicking the solar wind in the presence of a meteorite of the aubrite-type. Hydroxyapatite also performed as a mineral heterogeneous phosphorus source. Adenosine polyphosphate derivatives and inorganic polyphosphates were detected in the reaction mixture, highlighting the high reactivity of the system. Both the total yield of adenosine nucleotides and the conversion of adenosine increased upon performing the irradiation in the presence of formamide (NH2CHO) and aubrite. These experiments simulate conditions in space or on an early Earth fluxed by protons from the solar wind, potentially mimicking a plausible prebiotic phosphorylation scenario.1

Proton irradiation: a key to the challenge of N-glycosidic bond formation in a prebiotic context

Abstract The formation of nucleosides in abiotic conditions is a major hurdle in origin-of-life studies. We have determined the pathway of a general reaction leading to the one-pot synthesis of ribo- and 2′-deoxy-ribonucleosides from sugars and purine nucleobases under proton irradiation in the presence of a chondrite meteorite. These conditions simulate the presumptive conditions in space or on an early Earth fluxed by slow protons from the solar wind, potentially mimicking a plausible prebiotic scenario. The reaction (i) requires neither pre-activated precursors nor intermediate purification/concentration steps, (ii) is based on a defined radical mechanism, and (iii) is characterized by stereoselectivity, regioselectivity and (poly)glycosylation. The yield is enhanced by formamide and meteorite relative to the control reaction

Author Correction: Proton irradiation: a key to the challenge of N-glycosidic bond formation in a prebiotic context

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