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Cited by 113Planetary Science and ExplorationAstro and Planetary ScienceOrigins and Evolution of Life

Amino acids in the Martian meteorite Nakhla

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Glavin, Daniel P., Bada, Jeffrey L., Brinton, Karen L. F., McDonald, Gene D.·1999·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.96.16.8835PMC PMC17693
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Abstract

A suite of protein and nonprotein amino acids were detected with high-performance liquid chromatography in the water- and acid-soluble components of an interior fragment of the Martian meteorite Nakhla, which fell in Egypt in 1911. Aspartic and glutamic acids, glycine, alanine, β-alanine, and γ-amino- n -butyric acid (γ-ABA) were the most abundant amino acids detected and were found primarily in the 6 M HCl-hydrolyzed, hot water extract. The concentrations ranged from 20 to 330 parts per billion of bulk meteorite. The amino acid distribution in Nakhla, including the d/l ratios (values range from <0.1 to 0.5), is similar to what is found in bacterially degraded organic matter. The amino acids in Nakhla appear to be derived from terrestrial organic matter that infiltrated the meteorite soon after its fall to Earth, although it is possible that some of the amino acids are endogenous to the meteorite. The rapid amino acid contamination of Martian meteorites after direct exposure to the terrestrial environment has important implications for Mars sample-return missions and the curation of the samples from the time of their delivery to Earth.

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  • Aspartic acid is one of the more abundant amino acids found in meteorites and synthesized in Miller-Urey type prebiotic simulations.

    “It is notable that aspartic acid is one of the more abundant amino acids found in meteorites and synthesized in Miller-Urey type prebiotic simulations [62,63].”

    From The eightfold path to non-enzymatic RNA replication (2012) · cites this paper as [62]

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Authors
Glavin, D. P., Bada, J. L., Brinton, K. L. F., & McDonald, G. D.
Affiliations
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (US)
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
1999-08-03
Volume
96
Issue
16
Pages
8835-8838
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.96.16.8835
PMC
PMC17693
OpenAlex
W2040284159
Cited by
113
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 1
FWCI
4.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Planetary Science and Exploration
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
Keywords
Nakhla meteorite, Martian meteorites, amino acids, nonprotein amino acids, protein amino acids, aspartic acid, glutamate, glycine, alanine, beta-alanine, D/L ratio, bacterial degradation, terrestrial contamination, meteorite curation, Mars sample return, extraterrestrial organic matter
MeSH terms
Alanine, Amino Acids, Aspartic Acid, Egypt, gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Glycine, beta-Alanine, Mars, Glutamic Acid, Meteoroids

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