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. 2009 Jul 3;10(7):2986-2998.
doi: 10.3390/ijms10072986.

Organic analysis of peridotite rocks from the Ashadze and Logatchev hydrothermal sites

Marie-Paule Bassez  1 , Yoshinori Takano  2 , Naohiko Ohkouchi  2
Affiliations

Organic analysis of peridotite rocks from the Ashadze and Logatchev hydrothermal sites

Marie-Paule Bassez et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

This article presents an experimental analysis of the organic content of two serpentinized peridotite rocks of the terrestrial upper mantle. The samples have been dredged on the floor of the Ashadze and Logatchev hydrothermal sites on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In this preliminary analysis, amino acids and long chain n-alkanes are identified. They are most probably of biological/microbial origin. Some peaks remain unidentified.

Keywords: exobiology; organic geochemistry; origin of life; physical-chemistry; prebiotic synthesis.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mass fragment pattern of the N-pivaloyl-(S)-2-butyl esters of the d- and l-alanine diastereoisomers.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Representative chromatogram of chiral separation for d- and l-amino acids in polar fraction extracted from the Ashadze serpentinized peridotite rock sample by GC/MS analysis. Abbreviations: d-Ala, d-Alanine; l-Ala, l-Alanine; Gly, Glycine; BALA, beta-Alanine; d-Val, d-Valine; l-Val, l-Valine; l-Leu, l-Leucine; l-Ile, l-Isoleucine; GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid; l-Thr, l-Threonine; d-Thr, d-Threonine; d-Ser, d-Serine; l-Ser, l-Serine; d-, l-Asp, d-, l-Aspartic acid; l-Phe, l-Phenylalanine; d-Glu, d-Glutamic acid; l-Glu, l-Glutamic acid; d-,l-Tyr, d-,l-Tyrosine.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
d/l amino acid ratios in the analysed Ashadze peridotite rock and in sedimentary rocks.: Ala (alanine), Asx (asparagine and aspartate) and Glx (glutamine and glutamate).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Representative chromatogram of hydrocarbons including n-alkanes in non-polar fraction of the Logatchev rock sample. Select ion monitoring (SIM) was also performed to identify n-alkane chain analogs.
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References

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