biostudies-literatureUnknown7(1)Saladino RThe formation of nucleosides in abiotic conditions is a major hurdle in origin-of-life studies. We have determined the pathway of a general reaction leading to the one-pot synthesis of ribo- and 2'-deoxy-ribonucleosides from sugars and purine nucleobases under proton irradiation in the presence of a chondrite meteorite. These conditions simulate the presumptive conditions in space or on an early Earth fluxed by slow protons from the solar wind, potentially mimicking a plausible prebiotic scenario. The reaction (i) requires neither pre-activated precursors nor intermediate purification/concentration steps, (ii) is based on a defined radical mechanism, and (iii) is characterized by stereoselectivity, regioselectivity and (poly)glycosylation. The yield is enhanced by formamide and meteorite rScientific reports14709https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC5677017biostudies-literatureProton irradiation: a key to the challenge of N-glycosidic bond formation in a prebiotic context.PMC5677017Bizzarri BMSaladino RJaber MTimoshenko GNTimperio AMKrasavin ESponer JESponer JGeorgelin TMauro EDRozanov ARigaud BBotta LKapralov MfalseProton irradiation: a key to the challenge of N-glycosidic bond formation in a prebiotic context.The formation of nucleosides in abiotic conditions is a major hurdle in origin-of-life studies. We have determined the pathway of a general reaction leading to the one-pot synthesis of ribo- and 2'-deoxy-ribonucleosides from sugars and purine nucleobases under proton irradiation in the presence of a chondrite meteorite. These conditions simulate the presumptive conditions in space or on an early Earth fluxed by slow protons from the solar wind, potentially mimicking a plausible prebiotic scenario. The reaction (i) requires neither pre-activated precursors nor intermediate purification/concentration steps, (ii) is based on a defined radical mechanism, and (iii) is characterized by stereoselectivity, regioselectivity and (poly)glycosylation. The yield is enhanced by formamide and meteorite r2017-01-01T00:00:00Z2017 Nov2025-05-31T22:50:34.123Z2025-05-31T22:50:34.123ZS-EPMC56770172911618410.1038/s41598-017-15392-8