Heat Induced Formation Of Peptides From Reaction Mixture Of Glycine - Glutamic Acid And Glycine-Leucine In Presence And Absence Of Montmorillonite Clay With Or Without Metal Ions Under Wetting Drying Cycles Of Primitive Earth

The effect of heat on the reaction system of glycine glutamic acid and glycineleucine at 90 ± 5 0 C has been investigated in aqueous environment in the presence of montmorillonite clay with or without divalent cations (Ca 2+ , Cu 2+ and Mg 2+ ) under prebiotic wetting-drying cycles of primitive earth. The resulting products were analyzed by paper chromatography, UV as well as by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Formation of peptides seems to depend on the nature of the reactant amino acids, duration of heating as well as on montmorillonite clay incorporated with divalent cations. In glycine/glutamic acid, oligomerization of glycine was limited upto tetramer level (Gly4) along with the formation of glycyl-glutamic acid, whereas reaction system of glycine/leucine gave peptides up to tetramer level (Gly4) and showed the formation of Leucyl-Glycine (LeuGly). Thus the formation of peptides from the above reaction system reveal that incorporation of metal ions on clay (M) surface enhance the catalytic activity by iondipole interaction of cations with dipolar amino acid Zwitter-ions.