Abstract

CERVANTES DE LA CRUZ, Karina et al. HISTIDINE AS AN ORIGIN OF LIFE POSSIBLE PRECURSOR. La Granja [online]. 2017, vol.26, n.2, pp.6-14. ISSN 1390-8596.  https://doi.org/10.17163/lgr.n26.2017.01.

The chemical processes occurred during the first years of the evolution of the planet Earth, before the presence of cellular forms, have been continuous reason of studies at experimental level in many laboratories. Considering some possible prebiotic environments, the presence of materials such as clays-type minerals, which could provide chemical and structural elements such as their surfaces, have been given importance and validity to give protection and reactivity to the organic molecules existing in the surrounding environment. These catalytic processes, mediated by mineral surfaces, could give rise in the interstellar medium to a whole range of organic molecules. Many of these are low molecular weights, such as amino acids and carboxylic acids and sometimes molecular weights are much higher. Providing elements that help us to give new evidence about the origin of some molecules of biological importance in the interstellar medium, always enrich the scientific field related to the origin of life, and in particular open new horizons to understand the relevance of physicochemical processes that Could give rise to living organisms on primitive Earth. The present work discusses the possible abiotic synthesis of the amino acid histidine and its importance as an organic catalyst in the formation of oligopeptides in simulations of reactions at the origin of life. In this paper, we discuss the relevance of having histidine monocrystals, simulating a process of hydration-dehydration in shallow pools on the primitive Earth; A phenomenon that is essential for the formation of oligopeptides and, in turn, generate supramolecular assemblies before the appearance of life on our planet.

Keywords : Histidine; prebiotic chemistry; molecular evolution; molecular complexity; catalyst.

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