Simultaneous nucleotide activation and synthesis of amino acid amides by a potentially prebiotic multi-component reaction

(Chemical Equation Presented) Prebiotic building blocks - two for the price of one: In water at nearly neutral pH values, the assembly of an isocyanide, an aldehyde, and ammonia into an amino acid amide is facilitated by a nucleotide. In this process, the nucleotide is activated. The production of building blocks for both RNA and proteins in one high-yield reaction suggests a possible link between these macromolecules in the origin of life. © 2007 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.