Prebiotic peptide-formation in the solid state. II. Reaction of glycine with adenosine 5'-triphosphate and P1,P2-diadenosine-pyrophosphate.

When a solution containing gly-N-pa and imidazole is evaporated to dryness and then maintained at a temperature between 65 degrees C and 100 degrees C, high yields of AppA and obligoglycines are obtained. We believe that ImpA is formed first, and then activates the carboxyl group of glycine or gly-A-pA. If glycine, ATP or AppA, and imidazole are heated together in the solid state, ImpA is formed and ATP , or indirectly from imidazole and gly-N-pA. Next the carboxyl group or glycine is activated by the ImpA formed in situ. The subsequent reactions of activated glycine leads to the formation of oligoglycines and the 2' (3')-glycylester of pA. Under plausible prebiobic conditions, good yields of oligoglycines up to the octamer can be obtained from glycine, ATP and imidazole.