Adsorption of 5'-adenosine monophosphate onto precipitated calcium phosphate: effects of inorganic polyphosphates and carbamyl phosphate.

In this paper it is shown that the adsorption of 5'-adenosine monophosphate (5'-AMP) onto precipitated calcium phosphate exhibits a sigmoidal profile as revealed by isotherms at 45 degrees C. This result indicates a cooperative behavior in the adsorption of 5'-AMP. The relationship between adsorption capacity and surface area of the sedimented matrix may be interpreted as an indication that there is a monolayer of the absorbed nucleotide on the solid surface. The pH dependence of adsorption suggests that the negatively charged phosphoryl group of 5'-AMP interacts with a positively charged site (possibly Ca2+) on the matrix surface. The adsorption of the nucleotide is markedly decreased at pH values above 8.0. The Dixon-like plot of the effect of pH suggests an inhibitory role of hydroxyl ions in the adsorption of 5'-AMP. At pH 7.5, other anions such as pyrophosphate, tripolyphosphate and carbamyl phosphate also inhibit the adsorption of the nucleotide, probably by interacting with its adsorption site. We suggest that these phosphorylated molecules could have played a role in chemical evolution by modulating the amount of nucleotides adsorbed onto mineral surfaces. The significance of these phenomena in chemical evolution is discussed.