NMR studies of prebiotic polypeptides.

Several polypeptides prepd. by means of pyrocondensation were the subject of structural investigations. Attention was focused on the constitutional characterization of homo- and copolymers contg. asparagine and glutamate residues, whose role is essential for the formation of proteinoids. Contrary to the literature data based on chem. degrdn., NMR studies showed conclusively that in thermal poly(aspartic acid) only b-peptide linkages were present. This result cast serious doubt on the role thermal condensation might have played in prebiotic polypeptide syntheses.