Quantitatve evaluation of amino acid polymerization on oxide minerals

• Project/Area Number: 26800276
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Geochemistry/Cosmochemistry
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kitadai Norio 東京工業大学, 地球生命研究所, WPI研究員 (80625723)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥3,250,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥750,000)
• Keywords: 生命の起源 / アストロバイオロジー / 化学進化 / ペプチド / アミノ酸 / 生命の化学進化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, I have examined the synthetic and polymerization behaviors of amino acids under various conditions. I determined a complete set of thermodynamic parameters for the 20 protein amino acids, three short peptides, and four non-protein amino acids. Calculations using the dataset suggested that Hadean alkaline hydrothermal settings, where steep pH and temperature gradients may have existed between cool, slightly acidic Hadean ocean water and hot, alkaline hydrothermal fluids at the vent-ocean interface, is energetically the most suitable environment for the synthesis and polymerization of protein-amino acids. As an experimental approach, I have examined the polymerization of glycine on nine oxide minerals. Polymerization activation was inferred to have arisen from deprotonation of the NH3+ group of adsorbed Gly to the nucleophilic NH2 group, and from withdrawal of electron density from the carboxyl carbon to the surface metal ions.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Dissolved divalent metal and pH effects on amino acid polymerization: A thermodynamic evaluation (2016)
  • Author(s): Norio Kitadai
  • Journal Title: Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres Volume: 印刷中
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Predicting thermodynamic behaviors of non-protein amino acids as a function of temperature and pH, (2016)
  • Author(s): Kitadai, N.
  • Journal Title: Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres Volume: 46 Issue: 1 Pages: 3-18
  • DOI: 10.1007/s11084-015-9457-y
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Energetics of amino acid synthesis in alkaline hydrothermal environments (2015)
  • Author(s): Kitadai, N.
  • Journal Title: Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres Volume: 45 Issue: 4 Pages: 377-409
  • DOI: 10.1007/s11084-015-9428-3
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] A principled approach to the origin problem (2015)
  • Author(s): Aono, M., Kitadai, N., Oono, Y
  • Journal Title: Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres Volume: 45 Issue: 3 Pages: 327-338
  • DOI: 10.1007/s11084-015-9444-3
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Polymerization of building blocks of life on Europa and other icy moons (2015)
  • Author(s): Kimura, J., Kitadai, N.
  • Journal Title: Astrobiology Volume: 15 Issue: 6 Pages: 430-441
  • DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1306
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Polymerization of building blocks of life on Europa and other icy moons (2015)
  • Author(s): Kimura J. and Kitadai N.
  • Journal Title: Astrobiology Volume: 未定
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] A principled approach to the origin problem (2015)
  • Author(s): Aono M., Kitadai, N., Oono, Y.
  • Journal Title: Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres Volume: 未定
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Thermodynamic prediction of glycine polymerization as a function of temperature and pH consistent with experimentally obtained results (2014)
  • Author(s): Kitadai, N.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Molecular Evolution Volume: 78 Issue: 3-4 Pages: 171-187
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00239-014-9616-1
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Effect of ions on the OH stretching band of water as revealed by ATR-IR spectroscopy (2014)
  • Author(s): Kitadai N. Sawai T. Tonoue R. Nakashima S. Katsura M. and Fukushi K.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Solution Chemistry Volume: 43 Issue: 6 Pages: 1055-1077
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10953-014-0193-0
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Distribution and mineralogy of radioactive Cs in reservoir sediment contaminated by the Fukushima nuclear accident (2013)
  • Author(s): Aoi Y. Fukushi K. Itono T. Kitadai N. Kashiwaya K. Yamada H. Hatta T. and Manpuku Y.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences Volume: 109 Issue: 1 Pages: 23-27
  • DOI: 10.2465/jmps.130620c
  • NAID: 130003383598
  • ISSN: 1345-6296, 1349-3825
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Electrochemistry and the origin of life (2016)
  • Author(s): Norio Kitadai
  • Organizer: Workshop without walls: Upstairs Downstairs
  • Place of Presentation: Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
  • Year and Date: 2016-02-17
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Electrochemically-driven carbon fixation (2015)
  • Author(s): Kitadai N., Hongo Y., Li Y., Yamaguchi A., Nakamura R., Yamamoto M., Takai K
  • Organizer: The 8th Astrobiology Workshop
  • Place of Presentation: ELSI, Tokyo Tech., Tokyo
  • Year and Date: 2015-11-27
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] アルカリ熱水噴気孔条件における硫化鉱物への有機酸の吸着 (2015)
  • Author(s): 西井明梨，北台紀夫，時盛ひとみ，黒川顕
  • Organizer: 2015年度 日本地球化学会年会
  • Place of Presentation: 横浜国立大学，神奈川県
  • Year and Date: 2015-09-16
• [Presentation] エネルギーから探る生命の起源 (2015)
  • Author(s): 北台紀夫
  • Organizer: 生命の起源と宇宙の生命
  • Place of Presentation: 朝日カルチャーセンター 横浜教室，神奈川県
  • Year and Date: 2015-08-01
  • Invited
• [Presentation] グリシン重合化に及ぼす鉱物種の影響 (2014)
  • Author(s): 大西浩之，北台紀夫，福士圭介
  • Organizer: 日本地球化学会第61回年会
  • Place of Presentation: 富山
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-16 – 2014-09-18
• [Presentation] Polymerization of building blocks of life on Europa and other icy moons (2014)
  • Author(s): Jun Kimura and Norio Kitadai
  • Organizer: European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC)
  • Place of Presentation: Cascais, Portugal
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-07 – 2014-09-12
• [Presentation] Proto-Metabolism ～代謝の起源～ (2014)
  • Author(s): 北台紀夫
  • Organizer: 生命の起源および進化学会 夏の学校
  • Place of Presentation: 東京
  • Year and Date: 2014-08-29 – 2014-08-30
  • Invited
• [Presentation] 代謝の起源 (2014)
  • Author(s): 北台紀夫
  • Organizer: 日本進化学会第16回大阪大会
  • Place of Presentation: 大阪
  • Year and Date: 2014-08-21 – 2014-08-24
• [Presentation] Why life uses only α-amino acids as building blocks of proteins? A thermodynamic evaluation (2014)
  • Author(s): Kitadai, N.
  • Organizer: Origins 2014
  • Place of Presentation: Nara, Japan
  • Year and Date: 2014-07-06 – 2014-07-11
• [Presentation] Polymerization of building blocks of life on Europa and other icy moons (2014)
  • Author(s): Jun Kimura and Norio Kitadai
  • Organizer: Origins 2014
  • Place of Presentation: Nara, Japan
  • Year and Date: 2014-07-06 – 2014-07-11
• [Presentation] グリシン重合化に及ぼす鉱物種の影響 (2014)
  • Author(s): 大西浩之，北台紀夫，福士圭介
  • Organizer: 地球惑星科学連合2014年大会
  • Place of Presentation: 神奈川
  • Year and Date: 2014-04-28 – 2014-05-02