Skip to main content

Prebiotic Formation of Peptides: A Markov Chain Approach

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
  • 2081 Accesses

Part of the book series: Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology ((COLE,volume 22))

Abstract

Polymerization processes are essential for living systems, and these processes hold the same importance for prebiotic systems as well. Living systems dispose of fine molecular machinery able to produce specific sequences of polypeptides. In the prebiotic world, of course, such a facility was not available. Instead, physical chemistry based on polymerization processes is relied upon. In this work, we contribute to the principle of unequal probability of chemical reactions among amino acids. We have done so with the aid of a simple probabilistic model: Markov chains.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bremaud P (1999) Markov chains: Gibbs fields, Monte Carlo simulation, and queues, vol 31, Series texts in applied mathematics. Springer, Heidelberg, 444p

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickerson RE, Geis I (1969) The structure and action of proteins. Harper and Row Publishers, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Érdi P, Tóth J (1989) Mathematical models of chemical reactions. Theory and applications of deterministic and stochastic models. Manchester University Press, Manchester, pp 91–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox SW, Dose K (1977) Molecular evolution and the origin of life. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 370p

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox SW, Melius P, Nakashima T (1977) N-Terminal pyroglutamyl residues in proteins and thermal peptides. In: Matsubara H, Yamanaka T (eds) Proceedings of the symposium on evolution of proteins molecules. Scientific Society Press, Tokyo

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartmann J, Brand MC, Dose K (1981) Formation of specific amino acid sequences during thermal polymerization of amino acids. Biosystems 13:141–147

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kovacs J, Kovacs HN, Könyves I, Császár J, Vajda T, Mix H (1961) Chemical studies of polyaspartic acids. J Org Chem 26:1084–1091

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moran PAP (1984) An introduction to probability theory. Clarendon, Oxford, 542p

    Google Scholar 

  • Mosqueira FG (1988) On the origin of life event. Orig Life Evol Biosph 18:143–156

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mosqueira FG, Ramos-Bernal S, Negrón-Mendoza A (2000) A simple model of the thermal prebiotic oligomerization of amino acids. Biosystems 57:67–73

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mosqueira FG, Ramos-Bernal S, Negrón-Mendoza A (2002) Biased polymers in the origin of life. Biosystems 65:99–103

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mosqueira FG, Ramos-Bernal S, Negrón-Mendoza A (2008) Prebiotic thermal polymerization of crystals of amino acids via the diketopiperazine reaction. Biosystems 91:195–200

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakashima T, Jungck JR, Fox SW, Lederer E, Das BC (1977) A test in randomness in peptides isolated from a thermal polyamino acid. Int J Quant Chem v Quant Biol Symp 4:65–72

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by PAPIT-UNAM grant IN104109-3 and CONACyT grant 82937.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. G. Mosqueira .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Mosqueira, F.G., Negrón-Mendoza, A., Ramos-Bernal, S., Polanco-Gonzalez, C. (2012). Prebiotic Formation of Peptides: A Markov Chain Approach. In: Seckbach, J. (eds) Genesis - In The Beginning. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology, vol 22. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2941-4_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics