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Effect of thenardite on the direct detection of aromatic amino acids: implications for the search for life in the solar system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2009

C. Doc Richardson ,
Nancy W. Hinman  and
Jill R. Scott
C. Doc Richardson
Affiliation:
Geosciences Department, University of Montana, Missoula, 32 Campus Drive #1296, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
Nancy W. Hinman
Affiliation:
Geosciences Department, University of Montana, Missoula, 32 Campus Drive #1296, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
Jill R. Scott*
Affiliation:
Chemical Sciences, Idaho National Laboratory, 1765 North Yellowstone Hwy, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA
*
e-mail: Jill.Scott@inl.gov
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Abstract

With the discovery of Na-sulphate minerals on Mars and Europa, recent studies using these minerals have focused on their ability to assist in the detection of bio/organic signatures. This study further investigates the ability of thenardite (Na2SO4) to effectively facilitate the ionization and identification of aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan) using a technique called geomatrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization in conjunction with a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. This technique is based on the ability of a mineral host to facilitate desorption and ionization of bio/organic molecules for detection. Spectra obtained from each aromatic amino acid alone and in combination with thenardite show differences in ionization mechanism and fragmentation patterns. These differences are due to chemical and structural differences between the aromatic side chains of their respective amino acid. Tyrosine and tryptophan when combined with thenardite were observed to undergo cation-attachment ([M+Na]+), due to the high alkali ion affinity of their aromatic side chains. In addition, substitution of the carboxyl group hydrogen by sodium led to formation of [M-H+Na]Na+ peaks. In contrast, phenylalanine mixed with thenardite showed no evidence of Na+ attachment. Understanding how co-deposition of amino acids with thenardite can affect the observed mass spectra is important for future exploration missions that are likely to use laser desorption mass spectrometry to search for bio/organic compounds in extraterrestrial environments.

Keywords

aromatic amino acidsbiosignatureEuropaFTICR-MSGALDIgeomatrixMarsthenardite
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 8 , Issue 4 , October 2009 , pp. 291 - 300
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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