https://scitechdaily.com/tracing-the-origin-of-life-researchers-uncover-how-primordial-proteins-formed-on-prebiotic-earth/
Unraveling the mystery of how catalytic organic polymers
first appeared on prebiotic Earth will unlock key
understandings in the origin of life.
Researchers from Tohoku University recently discovered a
probable setting where the creation of catalytic organic
polymers could occur. To make this discovery, they
evaporated solutions of amino acids that contained boric
acid and found that boric acid fosters the creation of
polypeptides in both neutral and acidic environments. The
longest peptides formed in the experiments were 39
monomer-long glycine polypeptides under a neutral
condition.
Previous studies have suggested that highly alkaline
evaporative environments served as the place for ancient
protein synthesis, yielding up to 20 monomer-long glycine
peptides. Neutral conditions were thought to be the
worst-case in regards to peptide synthesis.
Boron-containing minerals have been discovered abundantly
in some of the oldest sedimentary-origin rocks found on
earth, dating back 3.8 billions-years. These findings
suggest that coastal areas of ancient small continents and
islands rich in boric acid spontaneously assembled amino
acids, forming polypeptides and proto-proteins.
Whilst RNAs are rather stable under neutral conditions,
they are extremely unstable under alkaline conditions.
Boron has been known to help many steps in abiotic
ribonucleotide synthesis.
“Boron-rich neutral evaporative environments serve as an
ideal place for the formations and interactions between
the two essential polymers on prebiotic Earth,” Furukawa
says.
This research group is now investigating which amino
acids are incorporated in the proto-peptides in this
environment.
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