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Science 11 November 1977:
Vol. 198. no. 4317, pp. 622 - 625
DOI: 10.1126/science.21452
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Articles

Science, Vol 198, Issue 4317, 622-625
Copyright © 1977 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Deuterolysis of amino acid precursors: evidence for hydrogen cyanide polymers as protein ancestors

C Matthews, J Nelson, P Varma, and R Minard

Deuterolysis experiments suggest that hydrogen cyanide polymers rather than aminoacetonitriles are major precursors of alpha-amino acids obtained from spark reactions and other studies on chemical evolution. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the original heteropolypeptides on the earth were synthesized spontaneously from hydrogen cyanide and water without the intervening formation of alpha-amino acids.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
HCN did not condense to give heteropolypeptides on the primitive earth.
J. Ferris (1979)
Science 203, 1135-1137
   PDF »
HCN Did Not Condense to Give Heteropolypeptides on the Primitive Earth.
C. N. MATTHEWS (1979)
Science 203, 1136-1137
   PDF »


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