Synthesis of protein, nucleosides and other organic compounds from cyanamide and potassium nitrite under possible primitive earth conditions.

The mixing of cyanamide and KNO2 produced changes from white solids to yellow liquid and then to orange solid. The gases cyanogen and ammonia were formed. No external energy was used. The reactions were carried out with a small amount of O2. The presence of proteins in the reaction product formed 13 months after the mixing was indicated by the positive reactions of the cyanamide-KNO2 reaction product with ninhydrin, microbiuret, and Folin reagent; the ultraviolet absorption at about 280 nm; the yield of 24% of 15 amino acids; and molecular weight measurements of more than 160,000. The presence of nucleosides, nucleic acid bases, hydrocarbons, and organic esters in the reaction product formed 2 months after the mixing was indicated by ultraviolet absorption at about 260 nm, and the results of ligand-exchange chromatography, paper chromatography, infrared analysis, mass spectral analysis, and NMR spectroscopy. Possible cyanamide-mediated dehydration reactions and mechanisms are discussed.