Pyrolytic behavior of amino acids and nucleic acid bases: Implications for their survival during extraterrestrial delivery

The idea of extraterrestrial delivery of organic matter (by comets, asteroids, meteorites, and interplanetary dust particles) to the early Earth is very popular at present. A strong argument for its favor is the detection of a large variety of organic compounds, including amino acids and nucleic acid bases, in carbonaceous chondrites. Whether these compounds can be delivered by other space bodies is unclear and depends primarily on capability of the biomolecules to survive high temperature regimes during atmospheric deceleration and impacts to the terrestrial surface. Although some indirect estimates of simple biomolecules' survivability have been reported, there is an evident lack of experimental data. In the present study we demonstrate that some simple amino acids, purines, and pyrimidines do not completely decompose even under volatilization at 500 degrees C in a nitrogen atmosphere at normal pressure, with the percentage of survival of the order of 1-10%. In the case of amino acids, several types of condensation products form (piperazine-2,5-diones, bicyclic amidines, hydantoins, etc.) with total yields in the same percentage range, preserving amino acid residues intact and being able to release free amino acids upon hydrolysis. Taking into account the property of amino acids as well as nucleic acid bases to sublime in vacuum under temperatures of about 200 degrees C, one should expect that the biomolecules in the dust particles actually do not experience the temperatures as much as 400-500 degrees C and rapidly sublime during the atmospheric passage, dissipating in the upper atmosphere. The biomolecules' survival during catastrophic airbursts of comets is also possible, but very unlikely for asteroidal impacts to the terrestrial surface (at least for those resulting in complete pulverization and evaporation of the projectiles). (C) 1998 Academic Press.