Pyrite suspended in artificial sea water catalyzes hydrolysis of adsorbed ATP: Enhancing effect of acetate

Minerals have been implicated in different catalytic processes during chemi cal evolution. It has been proposed that exergonic synthesis of pyrite (FeS 2) could have served to promote the endergonic synthesis of biomonomers in early stages of life formation on Earth. The present study was aimed to inv estigate whether pyrite can adsorb nucleotides and oxo acids in the potenti ally mild prebiotic conditions found away from the hot hydrothermal vents. It is shown that pyrite strongly adsorbs adenosine 5'-triphosphate in an ar tificial medium that simulates primordial aqueous environments, and that ad sorption is enhanced in the presence of acetate and in an oxygen-free atmos phere. Moreover, the mineral catalyzes the sequential hydrolysis of the gam ma and beta phosphoanhydride bonds of the nucleotide.