Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere 1996-02-01

Phosphorylation of glyceric acid in aqueous solution using trimetaphosphate.

V Kolb, L E Orgel

Index: Orig. Life Evol. Biosph. 26 , 7-13, (1996)

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Abstract

The phosphorylation of glyceric acid is an interesting prebiotic reaction because it converts a simple, potentially prebiotic organic molecule into phosphate derivatives that are central to carbohydrate metabolism. We find that 0.05 M glyceric acid in the presence of 0.5 M trimetaphosphate in alkaline solution gives a mixture of 2- and 3-phosphoglyceric acids in combined yields of up to 40%.