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Science 28 July 1978:
Vol. 201. no. 4353, pp. 361 - 362
DOI: 10.1126/science.208152
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Articles

Science, Vol 201, Issue 4353, 361-362
Copyright © 1978 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Chemical evolution from hydrogen cyanide: photochemical decarboxylation of orotic acid and orotate derivatives

JP Ferris and PC Joshi

Irradiation of solutions at pH 7 to pH 8.5 of orotic acid, orotidine, and orotidine 5'-phosphate with light at 254 nanometers yields the corresponding uracil derivative via the singlet excited state. This reaction completes a plausible prebiotic synthesis of uracil and its derivatives starting from HCN as the only carbon source.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)