N-phosphoryl amino acid models for P-N bonds in prebiotic chemical evolution

Abstract

Post-translational modification of proteins by N -phosphorylation of the basic amino acid residues plays important roles in biological processes. The high-energy P-N bond might have contributed to the evolution of prebiotic chemistry. N -phosphoryl amino acids (PAAs) can serve as interesting small molecular models for the study of P-N bonds in prebiotic chemical evolution. PAAs are capable of simultaneously producing several important biomolecules such as polypeptides and oligonucleotides under mild reaction conditions. In this review, we describe the chemistry of PAAs, discusse their likely prebiotic origins and their reactivity and how they relate to biological P-N bond species. We also depict a possible prebiotic scenario mediated by PAAs in which PAAs may have acted as one of the essential forces driving prebiotic biomolecules to the first protocell.