Abstract
The Yamato-791198 and Murchison carbonaceouschondrites were analyzed for dipeptides anddiketopiperazines as well as amino acids and hydantoins bygas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. Glycylglycine (gly-gly) and cyclo(gly-gly) were detected atthe concentrations of 11 and 18 pmol g-1, respectively,in Yamato-791198, and 4 and 23 pmol g-1, respectively,in Murchison. No other dipeptide and diketopiperazine weredetected. Five hydantoins were detected at 8 to 65 pmolg-1 in Yamato-791198 and seven in Murchison at 6 to 104pmol g-1. Total concentration of the glycine (gly)dimers is approximately four orders of magnitude less thanthe concentration of free gly in Yamato-791198, and threeorders of magnitude less than that in Murchison. Theabsence of L- and LL-stereoisomers of dipeptides consistingof protein amino acids indicates that gly-gly andcyclo(gly-gly) detected are native to the chondrites and not fromterrestrial contaminants. A possibility was discussed thatthe gly dimers might have been formed by condensation of glymonomers but not formed through N-carboxyanhydrides of gly.
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Shimoyama, A., Ogasawara, R. Dipeptides and Diketopiperazines in the Yamato-791198 and Murchison Carbonaceous Chondrites. Orig Life Evol Biosph 32, 165–179 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016015319112
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016015319112