Nonprotein amino acids from spark discharges and their comparison with the murchison meteorite amino acids.

Abstract All the nonprotein amino acids found in the Murchison meteorite are products of the action of electric discharge on a mixture of methane, nitrogen, and water with traces of ammonia. These amino acids include α-amino-n-butyric acid, α-aminoisobutyric acid, norvaline, isovaline, pipecolic acid, β-alanine, β-amino-n-butyric acid, β-aminoisobutyric acid, γ-aminobutyric acid, sarcosine, N-ethylglycine, and N-methylalanine. In addition, norleucine, alloisoleucine, N-propylglycine, N-isopropylglycine, N-methyl-β-alanine, N-ethyl-β-alanine α,β-diaminopropionic acid, isoserine, α,γ-diaminobutyric acid, and α-hydroxy-γ-aminobutyric acid are produced by the electric discharge, but have not been found in the meteorite.