Formation of extraterrestrial peptides and their derivatives

TL;DR

This study explores how peptides can form in space-like conditions through atomic carbon reactions, confirming a pathway for extraterrestrial peptide synthesis and examining water's impact on this process.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence for peptide formation in space conditions and analyzes water's effect on peptide synthesis efficiency.

Findings

Peptides can form via polymerization of aminoketene in space-like conditions.

Water slightly reduces peptide formation efficiency but does not inhibit it.

The confirmed pathway involves C + CO + NH3 reactions leading to peptide precursors.

Abstract

The formation of protein precursors, due to the condensation of atomic carbon under the low-temperature conditions of the molecular phases of the interstellar medium, opens alternative pathways for the origin of life. We perform peptide synthesis under conditions prevailing in space and provide a comprehensive analytic characterization of its products. The application of 13C allowed us to confirm the suggested pathway of peptide formation that proceeds due to the polymerization of aminoketene molecules that are formed in the C + CO + NH3 reaction. Here, we address the question of how the efficiency of peptide production is modified by the presence of water molecules. We demonstrate that although water slightly reduces the efficiency of polymerization of aminoketene, it does not prevent the formation of peptides.