Dipeptides and diketopiperazines in the Yamato-791198 and Murchison carbonaceous chondrites

Orig Life Evol Biosph. 2002 Apr;32(2):165-79. doi: 10.1023/a:1016015319112.

Abstract

The Yamato-791198 and Murchison carbonaceous chondrites were analyzed for dipeptides and diketopiperazines as well as amino acids and hydantoins by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. Glycylglycine (gly-gly) and cyclo(gly-gly) were detected at the 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 were detected. Five hydantoins were detected at 8 to 65 pmol g-1 in Yamato-791198 and seven in Murchison at 6 to 104 pmol g-1. Total concentration of the glycine (gly) dimers is approximately four orders of magnitude less than the concentration of free gly in Yamato-791198, and three orders of magnitude less than that in Murchison. The absence of L- and LL-stereoisomers of dipeptides consisting of protein amino acids indicates that gly-gly and cyclo(gly-gly) detected are native to the chondries and not from terrestrial contaminants. A possibility was discussed that the gly dimers might have been formed by condensation of gly monomers but not formed through N-carboxyanhydrides of gly.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / analysis
  • Dipeptides / analysis*
  • Hydantoins / analysis
  • Japan
  • Meteoroids*
  • Piperazines / analysis*

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Dipeptides
  • Hydantoins
  • Piperazines