2000; Plasson, et al. 2007). There seem to be three questions related to this discussion. The first is “L or D?” The second is “Homochiral or Heterochiral?” The third is “different or same?” The first two points concern with homochirality of each

click here biopolymer like protein and nucleic acid. The last questions concerned with the combination of homochirality between different biopolymers. This research involves answering the second question: S63845 mw “Homochiral or heterochiral?” We already reported a hypothesis on the question: “Homochiral or heterochiral?” related to peptides and proteins (Munegumi and Shimoyama, 2003). The report insisted the importance of the difference in hydrophobicity between homochiral and heterochiral oligopeptides in the development of homochirality. And a scenario for the development of homochirality of peptides was proposed (Munegumi and Shimoyama, 2003). The scenario includes separation of diastereomeric peptides and stereo-selective

reactions (Munegumi, PCI-34051 ic50 et al. 2005). The scenario also focused on several energy sources (Munegumi, et al. 2005) which might have induced such stereo-selective reactions. This research includes epimerization and degradation of oligopeptides induced by γ-rays irradiation, which seems to be an important energy source to produce organic compounds (Akaboshi, 2000). Linear or cyclic dipeptides (L-Ala-L-Ala, D-Ala-L-Ala, L-Ala-Gly, Gly-L-Ala and cyclo-LAla-L-Ala) were dissolved in aqueous buffer solutions (pH 1.7, 7.0, 11) and the resulted 1 mM solutions were irradiated by γ-rays (2, 4, 8, 16, 24 kGy). The reaction solutions were analyzed by means of an amino acid analyzer and

a reversed phase HPLC system. Homochiral peptide L-Ala-L-Ala yielded its diastereomers (heterochiral peptides: L-Ala-D-Ala and D-Ala-L-Ala; total yield: c.a. 6% at pH 1.7, 4 kGy) with the γ-rays irradiation. Degradation of peptide L-Ala-L-Ala to Ala, Ala-NH2 (alaninamide) and ammonia was observed under the every reaction the conditions. All the peptide substrates almost degraded (recovery <1%) under smaller dose than 16 kGy except of pH 11. Dipeptide cyclo-L-Ala-L-Ala rapidly degraded rather than linear dipeptides. However, inerconversion of cyclo-L-Ala-L-Ala to its diastereomer was observed only at pH 11. Although Interconversion of homochiral to heterochiral peptides was faster than that of heterochiral to homochiral peptides at pH 1.7, interconversion of heterochiral to homochiral peptides was faster than the other at pH 11. These results afford important information to discuss the conditions (pH and irradiation) and mechanisms of development of homochirality of peptides and proteins. Akaboshi, M., Fuji, N., and Navarro-Gonzalez, R. editors (2000).