Urea-inorganic phosphate mixtures as prebiotic phosphorylating agents.

Science (New York, N.Y.) ·Vol. 171 ·No. 3970 ·1971-02-05 ·Pages 490-4

Lohrmann R, Orgel LE

Abstract

Previous attempts to phosphorylate nucleosides by heating with inorganic phosphate succeeeded only when acid phosphates such as Ca(HPO(4))(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 degrees to 100 degrees C. Since the abundant mineral, hydroxylapatite, is a satisfactory substrate for this reaction, we believe that this procedure plausible model for prebiotic phosphorylation.

MeSH Terms

Alkaline Phosphatase Ammonium Chloride Animals Bicarbonates Calcium Phosphates Carbon Isotopes Chemical Phenomena Chemistry Chromatography, Paper Hydroxyapatites Nucleosides Phosphates Ribonucleases Snakes Thymidine Uracil Nucleotides Urea Uridine Venoms

Chemicals

Bicarbonates Calcium Phosphates Carbon Isotopes Hydroxyapatites Nucleosides Phosphates Uracil Nucleotides Venoms Ammonium Chloride Urea Ribonucleases Alkaline Phosphatase Thymidine Uridine

Authors & Affiliations

2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID

Lohrmann R

Orgel L E

Article Info

Journal

Science (New York, N.Y.)

Abbr.

Science

ISSN

0036-8075

DOI

10.1126/science.171.3970.490

Published

1971-02-05

Pages

490-4

Language

English

Region

United States

NLM ID

0404511

Subset

External Links

PubMed source DOI: 10.1126/science.171.3970.490 View journal details

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Urea-inorganic phosphate mixtures as prebiotic phosphorylating agents.

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