Dworkin J, Deamer D, Sandford S, Allamandola L
Astrochemistry Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jan 30;98(3):815-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.98.3.815.
Interstellar gas and dust constitute the primary material from which the solar system formed. Near the end of the hot early phase of star and planet formation, volatile, less refractory materials were transported into the inner solar system as comets and interplanetary dust particles. Once the inner planets had sufficiently cooled, late accretionary infall seeded them with complex organic compounds [Oró, J. (1961) Nature (London) 190, 389-390; Delsemme, A. H. (1984) Origins Life 14, 51-60; Anders, E. (1989) Nature (London) 342, 255-257; Chyba, C. F. & Sagan, C. (1992) Nature (London) 355, 125-131]. Delivery of such extraterrestrial compounds may have contributed to the organic inventory necessary for the origin of life. Interstellar ices, the building blocks of comets, tie up a large fraction of the biogenic elements available in molecular clouds. In our efforts to understand their synthesis, chemical composition, and physical properties, we report here that a complex mixture of molecules is produced by UV photolysis of realistic, interstellar ice analogs, and that some of the components have properties relevant to the origin of life, including the ability to self-assemble into vesicular structures.
星际气体和尘埃构成了太阳系形成的主要物质。在恒星和行星形成的早期炽热阶段接近尾声时，挥发性更强、耐火性更弱的物质以彗星和行星际尘埃颗粒的形式被输送到内太阳系。一旦内行星充分冷却，后期的吸积下落为它们带来了复杂的有机化合物[奥罗，J.（1961年）《自然》（伦敦）190, 389 - 390；德尔塞姆，A. H.（1984年）《生命起源》14, 51 - 60；安德斯，E.（1989年）《自然》（伦敦）342, 255 - 257；奇巴，C. F. & 萨根，C.（1992年）《自然》（伦敦）355, 125 - 131]。这种地外化合物的输送可能为生命起源所需的有机物质储备做出了贡献。星际冰是彗星的组成部分，它束缚了分子云中很大一部分可用于生物合成的元素。在我们努力理解它们的合成、化学成分和物理性质的过程中，我们在此报告，通过对逼真的星际冰类似物进行紫外光解会产生一种复杂的分子混合物，并且其中一些成分具有与生命起源相关的特性，包括能够自组装成囊泡结构。
