Summary
The adsorption of protein and non-protein amino acids by Na-mont-morillonite was studied at pH 3, 7, and 10, in order to determine whether clays could have played a part in selection of protein over non-protein amino acids in prebiotic times. Five pairs of amino acids, containing two to six carbons, were used at a concentration equal to 100% cation exchange capacity of the clay in adsorption experiments. The following pairs of protein and non-protein amino acids were used: glycine and sarcosine,α-alanine andβ-alanine,α-amino-butyric acid and γ-aminobutyric acid, valine and norvaline, L-isoleucine and D-alloisoleucine. No selective adsorption of protein amino acids occurred at varying hydrogen ion concentrations. The one difference observed in the adsorption of amino acids in the mixtures was a three- and four-fold greater adsorp-tion ofβ-and γ-amino acids, respectively, than theirα-amino acid counterparts under acidic and neutral conditions. Strong and weak adsorption of amino acids on the clay were correlated with mechanisms such as cation exchange and hydrogen bonding. The results of this research are significant to understanding the role of clay in chemical evolution because they do not support the role of preferential adsorption of protein over non-protein amino acids by clays.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bada JL, Miller SL (1968) Science 159:423–425
Bernal JD (1951) The physical basis of life. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, p 34
Cloos P, Calcius B, Fripiat JJ, MaKay K (1966) Proc Intern Clay Conf Jerusalem 1: 223–232
Fripiat JJ, Cloos, P, Calcius B, MaKay K (1966) Proc Intern Clay Conf Jerusalem 1: 233–246
Fripiat JJ, Poncelet G, van Assche AT, Mayaudon J (1972) Clays Clay Min 20:331–339
Greenland DJ, Laby RH, Quirk JP (1965) Trans Farad Soc 61:2013–1023
Ibanez JD, Kimball AP, Oro J (1971) Science 173:444–446
Kvenvolden K, Lawless J, Ponnamperuma C (1971) Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 68:486–490
Kvenvolden K, Lawless J, Pering K, Peterson E, Flores J, Ponnamperuma C, Kaplan IR (1970) Nature 228:923–926
Lahav N, Chang S (1976) J Mol Evol 8:357–380
Lahav N, White D, Chang S (1978) Science 201:67–69
Lailach GE, Brindley GW (1969) Clays Clay Min 17:95–100
Lailach GE, Thompson TD, Brindley GW (1968a) Clays Clay Min 16:285–294
Lailach GE, Thompson TD, Brindley GW (1968b) Clays Clay Min 16:296–302
Lawless J, Kvenvolden K, Peterson E, Ponnamperuma C, Moore C (1971) Science 173:626–627
MacLaren AD, Peterson GH, Barshad I (1958) Soil Sci Soc Amer Proc 22:239–244
Odom DG, Rao M, Lawless J, Oró J (1979) J Mol Evol 12:365–367
Paecht-Horowitz M (1978) J Mol Evol 11:101–107
Ring D, Wolman Y, Friedmann N, Miller S (1972) Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 69:765–768
Shimoyama A, Ponnamperuma C (1980) Hare PE, Hoering TC, and King K (eds) Proc Carnegie Inst Wash Conf on Advances in Biogeochemistry of Amino Acids. John Wiley, New York, p 145 in Biochemistry of Amino Acids. John Wiley, New York (in press)
Shimoyama A, Blair N, Ponnamperuma C (1978) In: Noda H (ed) Origin of life. Center for Academic Publications, Tokyo, p 95
Shimoyama A, Ponnamperuma C, Yanai K (1979) Nature 282:394–396
Sieskind O (1960) Compt Rend 250:2392–2393
Sieskind O, Wey R (1959) Comp Rend 248:1652–1655
Wolman Y, Haverland W, Miller S (1972) Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 69:809–811
Yoshino D, Hayatsu R, Anders E (1971) Geochim Cosmochim Acta 35:927–938
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Friebele, E., Shimoyama, A. & Ponnamperuma, C. Adsorption of protein and non-protein amino acids on a clay mineral: A possible role of selection in chemical evolution. J Mol Evol 16, 269–278 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01804978
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01804978