Abstract
A survey of the commonest amino acids formed in prebiotic conditions suggests that the earliest form of genetic coding may have specified polypeptides with a strong tendency to form stable β-sheet structures. Poly(Val-Lys), like other polypeptides in which hydro-phobic and hydrophilic residues alternate, tends to form β structures. We show that bilayers with a hydrophobic interior and a hydrophilic exterior may be present in aqueous solution.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Miller, S. L., and Orgel, L. E., in The Origins of Life on the Earth (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1974).
Chou, P. Y., and Fasman, G. D., Biochemistry, 13, 222–245 (1974).
Woese, C., in The Genetic Code (Harper and Row, New York, 1967).
Dickerson, R. E., J. molec. Biol., 57, 1–15 (1971).
Orgel, L. E., Isr. J. Chem., 10, 287–292 (1972).
Johnson, B. J., J. pharm. Sci., 63, 313–327 (1974).
Rippon, W. B., Chen, H. H., and Walton, A. G., J. molec. Biol., 75, 369–375 (1973).
Trudelle, Y., Polymer, 16, 9–15 (1975).
Seipke, G., Arfmann, H. A., and Wagner, K. G., Biopolymers, 13, 1621–1633 (1974).
Peggion, E., Cosani, A., Terbojevich, M., and Borin, G., Biopolymers, 11, 633–643 (1972).
Marsh, R. E., Corey, R. B., and Pauling, L., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 16, 1–34 (1955).
Fraser, R. D. B., MacRae, T. P., Stewart, F. H. C., and Suzuki, E., J. molec. Biol., 11, 706–712 (1965).
Lucas, F., and Rudall, K. M., in Comprehensive Biochemistry (edit. by Florkin, M., and Stotz, F. H.), 26 B, ch. 7 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1968).
Iizuka, E., and Yang, J. T., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 55, 1175–1182 (1966).
Fraser, R. D. B., Harrap, B. S., MacRae, T. P., Stewart, F. H. C., and Suzuki, E., J. molec. Biol., 12, 482–490 (1965).
Fraser, R. D. B., and MacRae, T. P., in Conformation in Fibrous Proteins (edit. by Horecker, B., Kaplan, N. O., Marmur, J., and Scheraga, H. A.), ch. 10 (Academic, New York, 1973).
Padden, F. J., Jr, Keith, H. D., and Giannoni, G., Biopolymers, 7, 793–804 (1969).
Astbury, W. T., Dalgliesh, C. E., Darmon, S. E., and Sutherland, G. B. B. M., Nature, 162, 596–600 (1948).
Ananthanarayanan, V. S., J. scient. ind. Res., 31, 593–612 (1972).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Brack, A., Orgel, L. β structures of alternating polypeptides and their possible prebiotic significance. Nature 256, 383–387 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/256383a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/256383a0
This article is cited by
-
Hydrophobic-cationic peptides modulate RNA polymerase ribozyme activity by accretion
Nature Communications (2022)
-
A prebiotic template-directed peptide synthesis based on amyloids
Nature Communications (2018)
-
Amyloid and the origin of life: self-replicating catalytic amyloids as prebiotic informational and protometabolic entities
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences (2018)
-
Emergence of native peptide sequences in prebiotic replication networks
Nature Communications (2017)
-
Astrobiology and the Possibility of Life on Earth and Elsewhere…
Space Science Reviews (2017)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.