High-Pressure Torsion-Induced Transformation of Adenosine Monophosphate: Insights into Prebiotic Chemistry of RNA by Astronomical Impacts

TL;DR

This study uses high-pressure torsion to simulate astronomical impacts, revealing that AMP does not polymerize but transforms into other organic compounds, informing prebiotic RNA chemistry.

Contribution

It demonstrates that high-pressure torsion does not induce AMP polymerization but leads to formation of various organic fragments, providing new insights into prebiotic chemistry during impacts.

Findings

AMP does not polymerize under tested conditions.

AMP transforms into nucleobase fragments and other organics.

HPT reveals mechanical behavior of AMP at extreme conditions.

Abstract

The origin of life is yet a compelling scientific mystery that has sometimes been attributed to high-pressure impacts by small solar system bodies such as comets, meteoroids, asteroids, and transitional objects. High-pressure torsion (HPT) is an innovative method with which to simulate the extreme conditions of astronomical impacts and offers insights relevant to prebiotic chemistry. In the present study, we investigated the polymerization and stability of adenosine monophosphate (AMP), a key precursor to ribonucleic acid (RNA), in dry and hydrated conditions (10 wt% water) under 6 GPa at ambient and boiling water temperatures. Comprehensive analyses with the use of X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry revealed no evidence of polymerization, while AMP partly transformed to other organic compounds such as nucleobase-derived fragments of adenine, phosphoribose fragments, dehydrated adenosine, protonated adenosine, and oxidized adenosine. The torque measurements during HPT further highlight the mechanical behavior of AMP under extreme conditions. These findings suggest that, while HPT under the conditions tested does not facilitate polymerization, the formation of various compounds from AMP confirms the significance of astronomical impacts on the prebiotic chemistry of RNA on early Earth. Keywords: Ribonucleic acid (RNA), Origin of life; Phase transformations; Chemical reactions, Small solar system bodies