Kenyon D H, Nissenbaum A
J Mol Evol. 1976 Apr 9;7(3):245-51. doi: 10.1007/BF01731491.
Two new classes of organic microspheres are described. One of them (melanoidin) is synthesized from amino acids and sugars in heated aqueous solutions. The other (aldocyanoin) is formed in aqueous solutions of ammonium cyanide and formaldehyde at room temperature. The general properties of these microspheres, including conditions of synthesis, size and shape, mechanical and pH stability, and solubility, are compared with corresponding properties of other "protocell" model systems. It is concluded that melanoidin and aldocyanoin microsphreres are plausible candidates for precellular units in the primitive hydrosphere. Since the bulk of the organic carbon in early Precambrian sediments is insoluble kerogen-melanoidin, it is suggested that some Precambrian "microfossils" may be abiotic melanoidin microspheres of the type described herein.
本文描述了两类新型有机微球。其中一类（类黑素）是在加热的水溶液中由氨基酸和糖类合成的。另一类（醛氰缩合物）是在室温下由氰化铵和甲醛的水溶液形成的。将这些微球的一般性质，包括合成条件、大小和形状、机械和pH稳定性以及溶解性，与其他“原始细胞”模型系统的相应性质进行了比较。得出的结论是，类黑素和醛氰缩合物微球是原始水圈中细胞前体单元的合理候选者。由于前寒武纪早期沉积物中大部分有机碳是不溶性干酪根——类黑素，因此有人提出，一些前寒武纪“微化石”可能是本文所述类型的非生物类黑素微球。
