Biomedical subjects

Leslie Orgel

Publications and source records attributed to Leslie Orgel.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Molecular evolution of peptide methionine sulfoxide reductases (MsrA and MsrB): on the early development of a mechanism that protects against oxidative damage.

Methionine sulfoxide reductases, enzymes that reverse the oxidation of methionine residues, have been described in a wide range of species. The reduction of the diastereoisomers of oxidized methionine is catalyzed by two different monomeric methionine sulfoxide reductases (MsrA and MsrB) and is best understood as an evolutionary response to high levels of oxygen either in the Earth's atmosphere or possibly in more localized environments. Phylogenetic analyses of these proteins suggest that their distribution is the outcome of a complex history including many paralogy and lateral gene transfer events.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Carbonyl sulfide-mediated prebiotic formation of peptides.

Almost all discussions of prebiotic chemistry assume that amino acids, nucleotides, and possibly other monomers were first formed on the Earth or brought to it in comets and meteorites, and then condensed nonenzymatically to form oligomeric products. However, attempts to demonstrate plausibly prebiotic polymerization reactions have met with limited success. We show that carbonyl sulfide (COS), a simple volcanic gas, brings about the formation of peptides from amino acids under mild conditions in aqueous solution. Depending on the reaction conditions and additives used, exposure of alpha-amino acids to COS generates peptides in yields of up to 80% in minutes to hours at room temperature.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed2004

Q & A.

Leslie Orgel is a Professor and Senior Fellow at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of California at San Diego. The first part of his career was devoted to the theoretical inorganic chemistry of transition metal ions. This led to the publication of a book on Ligand-Field Theory. Since 1964, he has concentrated on aqueous solution chemistry that might be relevant to the origin of life. He has authored or co-authored two books on the origin of life.

Career Choice↗