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Meteoritic Amino Acids: Diversity in Compositions Reflects Parent Body HistoriesThe analysis of amino acids in meteorites dates back over 50 years; however, it is only in recent years that research has expanded beyond investigations of a narrow set of meteorite groups (exemplied by the Murchison meteorite) into meteorites of other types and classes. These new studies have shown a wide diversity in the abundance and distribution of amino acids across carbonaceous chondrite groups, highlighting the role of parent body processes and composition in the creation, preservation, or alteration of amino acids. Although most chiral amino acids are racemic in meteorites, the enantiomeric distribution of some amino acids, particularly of the nonprotein amino acid isovaline, has also been shown to vary both within certain meteorites and across carbonaceous meteorite groups. Large -enantiomeric excesses of some extraterrestrial protein amino acids (up to 60) have also been observed in rare cases and point to nonbiological enantiomeric enrichment processes prior to the emergence of life. In this Outlook, we review these recent meteoritic analyses, focusing on variations in abundance, structural distributions, and enantiomeric distributions of amino acids and discussing possible explanations for these observations and the potential for future work.
Document ID
20170006049
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Elsila, Jamie E.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Aponte, Jose C.
(Catholic Univ. of America Washington, DC, United States)
Blackmond, Donna G.
(Scripps Research Inst. La Jolla, CA, United States)
Burton, Aaron S.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX United States)
Dworkin, Jason P.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Glavin, Daniel P.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
July 3, 2017
Publication Date
April 25, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: ACS Central Science
Publisher: American Chemical Society
Volume: 2
Issue: 6
ISSN: 2374-7943
e-ISSN: 2374-7951
Subject Category
Space Sciences (General)
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN43957
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX15AM13A
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
carbonaceous chondrite groups

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