Laurent, H orcid.org/0000-0002-8925-4773, Soper, A orcid.org/0000-0002-7903-8356 and Dougan, L orcid.org/0000-0002-2620-5827 (2019) Biomolecular self-assembly under extreme Martian mimetic conditions. Molecular Physics, 117 (22). pp. 3398-3407. ISSN 0026-8976
Abstract
The recent discovery of subsurface water on Mars has challenged our understanding of the natural limits of life. The presence of magnesium perchlorate (Mg(ClO4)2) on the Martian surface raises the possibility that it may also be present in this subsurface lake. Given that the subsurface lakes on Earth, such as Lake Vostok and Lake Whillans, are capable of harbouring surprising amounts of life, these new findings raise interesting possibilities for how biomolecules might self-assemble in this environment on Mars. Here we investigate the self-association and hydration of the amino acid glycine in aqueous Mg(ClO4)2 at 25°C and −20°C using neutron diffraction with hydrogen isotope substitution and subsequent analysis with empirical potential structure refinement to yield a simulated box of atoms consistent with the scattering data. We find that although the highly chaotropic properties of Mg(ClO4)2 disrupt the hydration and hydrogen bonding ability of the amino acid, as well as the bulk water structure, glycine molecules are nonetheless still able to self-associate. This occurs more readily at lower temperature, where clusters of up to three molecules are observed, allowing us to speculate that the formation of biological molecules is possible in the Martian environment.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an author produced version of an article published in Molecular Physics. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Neutron diffraction; empirical potential structure refinement; amino acid; water; clustering |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Physics and Astronomy (Leeds) > Molecular & Nanoscale Physics |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) EP/P02288X/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 16 Oct 2019 09:38 |
Last Modified: | 17 Dec 2024 14:12 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/00268976.2019.1649485 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:152138 |