Meteorite-Assisted Phosphorylation of Adenosine Under Proton Irradiation Conditions

Abstract The abiotic phosphorylation of nucleosides is a major hurdle in origin-of-life studies. We suggest a plausible pathway for the synthesis of adenosine nucleotides from adenosine and NaH2PO4 under radiative conditions mimicking the solar wind in the presence of a meteorite of the aubrite-type. Hydroxyapatite also performed as a mineral heterogeneous phosphorus source. Adenosine polyphosphate derivatives and inorganic polyphosphates were detected in the reaction mixture, highlighting the high reactivity of the system. Both the total yield of adenosine nucleotides and the conversion of adenosine increased upon performing the irradiation in the presence of formamide (NH2CHO) and aubrite. These experiments simulate conditions in space or on an early Earth fluxed by protons from the solar wind, potentially mimicking a plausible prebiotic phosphorylation scenario.