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Insights into the Behaviour of Biomolecules on the Early Earth: The Concentration of Aspartate by Layered Double Hydroxide Minerals

Grégoire, Brian; Erastova, Valentina; Geatches, Dawn L.; Clark, Stewart J.; Greenwell, H. Christopher; Fraser, Donald G.

Insights into the Behaviour of Biomolecules on the Early Earth: The Concentration of Aspartate by Layered Double Hydroxide Minerals Thumbnail


Authors

Brian Grégoire

Valentina Erastova

Dawn L. Geatches

Donald G. Fraser



Abstract

The role of mineral surfaces in concentrating and facilitating the polymerisation of simple protobiomolecules during the Hadean and Archean has been the subject of much research in order to constrain the conditions that may have led to the origin of life on early Earth. Here we examine the adsorption of the amino acid aspartate on layered double hydroxide minerals, and use a combined computer simulation – experimental spectroscopy approach to gain insight into the resulting structures of the host-aspartate material. We show that the uptake of aspartate occurs in alkaline solution by anion exchange of the dianion form of aspartate, rather than by surface adsorption. Anion exchange only occurs at values of pH where a significant population of aspartate has the amino group deprotonated, and is then highly efficient up to the mineral anion exchange capacity.

Citation

Grégoire, B., Erastova, V., Geatches, D. L., Clark, S. J., Greenwell, H. C., & Fraser, D. G. (2016). Insights into the Behaviour of Biomolecules on the Early Earth: The Concentration of Aspartate by Layered Double Hydroxide Minerals. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 176, 239-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.12.026

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 22, 2015
Online Publication Date Dec 28, 2015
Publication Date Mar 1, 2016
Deposit Date Jan 9, 2016
Publicly Available Date Feb 24, 2017
Journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Print ISSN 0016-7037
Publisher Meteoritical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 176
Pages 239-258
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.12.026

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