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Science 5 February 1971:
Vol. 171. no. 3970, pp. 490 - 494
DOI: 10.1126/science.171.3970.490
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Articles

Urea-Inorganic Phosphate Mixtures as Prebiotic Phosphorylating Agents

R. Lohrmann 1 and L. E. Orgel 1

1 Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego, California 92112

Previous attempts to phosphorylate nucleosides by heating with inorganic phosphate succeeeded only when acid phosphates such as Ca(HPO4)2 were used. The addition of urea and ammonium chloride to the reaction mixture permits phosphorylation in high yield with neutral or basic phosphates at temperatures in the range of 65° to 100°C. Since the abundant mineral, hydroxylapatite, is a satisfactory substrate for this reaction, we believe that this procedure plausible model for prebiotic phosphorylation.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Nucleoside Phosphorylation by Phosphate Minerals.
G. Costanzo, R. Saladino, C. Crestini, F. Ciciriello, and E. Di Mauro (2007)
J. Biol. Chem. 282, 16729-16735
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Phosphorus in prebiotic chemistry.
A. W Schwartz (2006)
Phil Trans R Soc B 361, 1743-1749
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Struvite and Prebiotic Phosphorylation.
G. J. Handschuh and L. E. Orgel (1973)
Science 179, 483-484
   Abstract »    PDF »


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