Skip to main content
See More

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

Origins of biomolecular handedness

Nature volume 311, pages 19–23 (1984)Cite this article

Abstract

Classical mechanisms proposed for the transition from racemic geochemistry to homochiral biochemistry in terrestrial evolution generally ascribe to chance the particular handed choice of the L-amino acids and the D-sugars by self-replicating systems. The parity-violating weak neutral current interaction gives rise to an energy difference between a chiral molecule and its mirror-image isomer, resulting in a small stabilization of the L-amino acids and the L-peptides in the α-helix and the β-sheet conformation relative to the corresponding enantiomer. The energy difference suffices to break the chiral symmetry of autocatalytic racemic reaction sequences in an open non-equilibrium system.

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Pasteur, L. C.r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci. Paris 26, 535 (1848); Oeuvres de Pasteur Vol. 1 (ed. Pasteur Valery-Radot) 61–64 (Masson, Paris, 1922).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Haüy, R. J. Tableau Comparatif des Resultats de la Cristallographie et de l' Analyse Chimique, xvii (Courcier, Paris, 1809).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Caillois, R. La Dissymétrie 33–64 (Gallimard, Paris, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kelvin, Ld. Baltimore Lectures, 618–619 (Clay, London, 1904).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Pasteur, L. Rev. Scient. 7, 2 (1884); Oeuvres Vol. 1, 369–380 (1922).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Faraday, M. Phil. Mag. 28, 294 (1846).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Pasteur, L. Bull Soc. Chim. Fr, 41, 215 (1884); Oeuvres Vol. 1, 385 (1922).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Pasteur, L. Recherches sur la Dissymétrie Moleculaire (1860); Oeuvres Vol. 1, 314–344; English trans., Alembic Club Reprint, No. 14 (Livingstone, Edinburgh, 1948).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Le Bel, J. A. Bull. Soc. Chim. Fr. 22, 337 (1874).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Van't Hoff, J. H. Arch. Neéland Sci. Exact. Nat. 9, 445 (1874).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cotton, A. C.r. hebd. Séanc. Acad. Sci. Paris 120, 989 & 1044 (1895).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Cotton, A. J. Chim. phys. 7, 81 (1909).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Kuhn, W. & Braun, F. Naturwissenschaften 17, 227 (1929).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Kuhn, W. & Knopf, E. Z. phys. Chem. B 7, 292 (1930).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Burchardt, O. Angew. Chem. int. Edn. 13, 179 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Martin, R. H. Angew. Chem. int. Edn. 13, 649 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Kagan, H. & Fiaud, J. C. Topics Stereochem. 10, 175 (1978).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Pasteur, L. Annls Chim. Phys. 38, 437 (1853); Oeuvres Vol. 1, 203–241 (1922).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Fischer, E. Chem. Ber. 27, 2985 & 3231 (1894).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Fischer, E. J. chem. Soc. 91, 1749 (1907).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Pauling, L. Nature 161, 707 (1948).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Dodson, G., Glusker, J. P. & Sayre, D. (eds) Structural Studies on Molecules of Biological Interest: A Volume in Honour of Dorothy Hodgkin, Sections IV & V (Clarendon, Oxford, 1981).

  23. Blout, E. R. & Idelson, M. J. Am. chem. Soc. 80, 2387 (1958).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Blair, N. E., Dirbas, F. M. & Bonner, W. A. Tetrahedron, 37, 27 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Miller, S. L. & Orgel, L. E. The Origins of Life on the Earth, 171 (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Curie, P. J. Physique théor. appl. Ser 3, 3, 393 (1894).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. De Gennes, P.-G. C.r. hébd. Séanc. Acad. Sci. Paris B270, 891 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Mead, C. A. & Moscowitz, A. J. Am. chem. Soc. 102, 7301 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Peres, A. J. Am. chem. Soc. 102, 7390 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Wigner, E. P. Z. Phys. 43, 624 (1927).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Lee, T. D. & Yang, C. N. Phys. Rev. 104, 254 (1956).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Wu, C. S., Ambler, E., Hayward, R. W., Hoppes, D. D. & Hudson, R. P. Phys. Rev. 105, 1413 (1957).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Rodberg, L. S. & Weisskopf, V. F. Science 125, 627 (1957).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Ulbricht, T. L. V. Q. Rev. chem. Soc. 13, 48 (1959).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Ulbricht, T. L. V. Origins Life 11, 35 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  36. Bonner, W. A., Blair, N. E. & Dirbas, F. M. Origins Life 11, 119 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Gidley, D. W., Rich, A., Van House, J. & Zitzewitz, P. W. Nature 297, 629 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  38. Walgate, R. Nature 303, 473 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  39. Weinberg, S. Phys. Rev. Lett. 19, 1264 (1967); Rev. mod. Phys. 52, 515 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. Salam, A. in Proc. 8th Nobel Symposium: Elementary Particle Theory (ed. Svartholm, N.) (Almquist and Wiksell, Stockholm, 1968); Rev. mod. Phys. 52, 525 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  41. Barron, L. D. Molec. Phys. 43, 1395 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Sanders, P. G. H. in Fundamental Interactions and the Structure of Matter (eds Crowe, K., Duclos, J., Fiorentini, G. & Torelli, G.) Vol. 57 (Plenum, New York, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  43. Fortson, E. N. & Wilets, L. Adv. atom. molec. Phys. 16, 319 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Emmons, T. P., Reeves, J. M. & Fortson, E. N. Phys. Rev. Lett. 51, 2089 (1983); 52, 86 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Stodolsky, L. Nature 290, 735 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  46. Rein, D. W. J. molec. Evol. 4, 15 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Zel'dovich, B. Ya., Saakyan, D. B. & Sobel'man, I. I. JETP Lett. 25, 94 (1977).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  48. Hegstrom, R. A., Rein, D. W. & Sanders, P. G. H. J. chem. Phys. 73, 2329 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Bouman, T. D. & Hansen, A. E. J. chem. Phys. 66, 3460 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Mason, S. F. & Tranter, G. E. Chem. Phys. Lett. 94, 34 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Mason, S. F. & Tranter, G. E. JCS Chem. Commun. 117 (1983).

  52. Mason, S. F. & Tranter, G. E. Molec. Phys. (in the press).

  53. Wolfrom, M. L., Lemieux, R. U. & Olin, S. M. J. Am. chem. Soc. 71, 2870 (1949).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Nicolis, G. & Prigogine, I. Self-organisation in Non-equilibrium Systems (Wiley, New York, 1977).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  55. Frank, F. C. Biochim. biophys. Acta 11, 459 (1953).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Seelig, F. F. J. theor. Biol. 31, 355 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Decker, F. Nature new Biol. 241, 72 (1973); J. molec. Evol. 4, 49 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Fajszi, Cs. & Czege, J. Origins of Life 11, 143 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Kondepudi, D. K. & Nelson, G. W. Phys. Rev. Lett. 50, 1023 (1983); Physica A (in the press).

    Google Scholar 

  60. Tennakone, K. Chem. Phys. Lett. 105, 444 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Kondepudi, D. K. & Nelson, G. W. Phys. Rev. Lett. 52 (in the press).

  62. Angel, J. R. P., Illing, R. & Martin, P. G. Nature 238, 389 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  63. Yamagata, Y. J. theor. Biol. 11, 495 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. Thiemann, W. & Darge, W. Origins of Life 5, 263 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Letokhov, V. S. Phys. Lett. 53 A, 275 (1975); Nuovo Cimento Lett. 20, 107 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. Thiemann, W. & Wagener, K. Angew. Chem. int. Edn. 9, 740 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Wagener, K. J. molec. Evol. 4, 77 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  68. Thiemann, W. J. molec. Evol. 4, 85 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Kesztheyli, L. Phys. Lett. 64 A, 287 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  70. Kipping, F. S. & Pope, W. J. J. chem. Soc. 95, 103 (1909).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. Kipping, F. S. & Pope, W. J. J. chem. Soc. 73, 606 (1898).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  72. Havinga, E. Biochim. biophys. Acta 13, 171 (1954).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  73. Palache, C., Berman, H. & Frondel, C. Dana's System of Mineralogy, 7th edn, Vol 3, 16 (Wiley, New York, 1962).

    Google Scholar 

  74. Kavasmaneck, P. R. & Bonner, W. A. J. Am. chem. Soc. 99, 44 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  75. Furuyama, S., Sawada, M., Machiya, K. & Morimoto, T. Bull. chem. Soc. Japan 55, 3394 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  76. Bada, J. L. & Shou, M. Y. in Biogeochemistry of Amino Acids (eds Hare, R. E., Hoering, T. C. & King, K.) 235 (Wiley, New York, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  77. Physical Chemistry of Oscillatory Phenomena, Faraday Symp. chem. Soc. No. 9 (1974).

  78. Noyes, R. M. & Field, R. J. Accts chem. Res. 10, 214 & 273 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  79. Epstein, I. R. J. phys. Chem., 88, 187 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  80. Wyrouboff, G. Bull. Soc. Fr. Minér. Cristallogr. 19, 219 (1896).

    Google Scholar 

  81. Soret, C. Arch. Sci. phys. nat. 7, 80 (1899).

    Google Scholar 

  82. Copaux, H. Bull. Soc. Fr. Minér Cristallogr. 18, 219 (1910).

    Google Scholar 

  83. Zachariasen, W. H. & Plettinger, G. Acta crystallogr. 12, 527 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry Department, King's College, London, WC2R 2LS, UK

    Stephen F. Mason

Authors
  1. Stephen F. Mason
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mason, S. Origins of biomolecular handedness. Nature 311, 19–23 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/311019a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/311019a0

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing