Biased versus unbiased randomness in homo-polymers and copolymers of amino acids in the prebiotic world.

Fernando G Mosqueira; Alicia Negron; Sergio Ramos; Carlos Polanco

doi:10.18388/abp.2012_2089

Biased versus unbiased randomness in homo-polymers and copolymers of amino acids in the prebiotic world.

Fernando G Mosqueira Direccion General de Divulgacion de la Ciencia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico. gmosque@universum.unam.mx;
Alicia Negron
Sergio Ramos
Carlos Polanco

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18388/abp.2012_2089

Abstract

The polymerization of amino acids under anhydrous prebiotic conditions was first studied several decades ago. Here we use a stochastic model stressing the relevant role of the polarity of amino acids in the formation of oligopeptides in a prebiotic milieu. Our goal is to outline the predominance of co-polypeptides over homo-polypeptides, resulting not only from the randomness, but also from polarity properties of amino acids. Our results conclude that there was a higher probability of the formation of co-polypeptides than of homo-polymers. Besides, we may hypothesize that the former would have a more ample spectrum of possible chemical functions than homo-polypeptides.

Published

2012-10-26

Issue

Vol. 59 No. 4 (2012)

Section

Articles

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