The significance of a geochemically isolated intracrystalline organic fraction within biominerals

Gerald A. Sykes; Matthew J. Collins; Derek I. Walton

doi:10.1016/0146-6380(95)00086-0

The significance of a geochemically isolated intracrystalline organic fraction within biominerals

Gerald A. Sykes, Matthew J. Collins^*, Derek I. Walton

^*Corresponding author for this work

113 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In studies of organic matter in fossil biominerals, there has been a widespread failure to distinguish between the organic matrix and organic matter trapped within the crystal elements. The existence of chemically isolated (intracrystalline) proteins are indicated by the persistence of amino acids after prolonged treatment with a strong chemical oxidant (NaOCl). The geochemical significance of these residual amino acids is illustrated by the re-analysis of aberrantly young d-aile/l-ile ratios (0.142 ± 0.042, n = 4) of amino acids from a land snail (Cepaea sp.) collected from Tattershall Thorpe in Lincolnshire. Following NaOCl treatment the d-aile/l-ile ratio increased (0.178 ± 0.014, n = 5), while both the total amino acid concentration and the variance declined.

Original language	English
Journal	Organic Geochemistry
Volume	23
Issue number	11-12
Pages (from-to)	1059-1065
Number of pages	7
ISSN	0146-6380
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/0146-6380(95)00086-0
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 1995

Keywords

Amino acids
bivalve molluscs
chemical oxidation
protein degradation
racemization

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10.1016/0146-6380(95)00086-0

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title = "The significance of a geochemically isolated intracrystalline organic fraction within biominerals",

abstract = "In studies of organic matter in fossil biominerals, there has been a widespread failure to distinguish between the organic matrix and organic matter trapped within the crystal elements. The existence of chemically isolated (intracrystalline) proteins are indicated by the persistence of amino acids after prolonged treatment with a strong chemical oxidant (NaOCl). The geochemical significance of these residual amino acids is illustrated by the re-analysis of aberrantly young d-aile/l-ile ratios (0.142 ± 0.042, n = 4) of amino acids from a land snail (Cepaea sp.) collected from Tattershall Thorpe in Lincolnshire. Following NaOCl treatment the d-aile/l-ile ratio increased (0.178 ± 0.014, n = 5), while both the total amino acid concentration and the variance declined.",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - The significance of a geochemically isolated intracrystalline organic fraction within biominerals

AU - Sykes, Gerald A.

AU - Collins, Matthew J.

AU - Walton, Derek I.

PY - 1995/1/1

Y1 - 1995/1/1

N2 - In studies of organic matter in fossil biominerals, there has been a widespread failure to distinguish between the organic matrix and organic matter trapped within the crystal elements. The existence of chemically isolated (intracrystalline) proteins are indicated by the persistence of amino acids after prolonged treatment with a strong chemical oxidant (NaOCl). The geochemical significance of these residual amino acids is illustrated by the re-analysis of aberrantly young d-aile/l-ile ratios (0.142 ± 0.042, n = 4) of amino acids from a land snail (Cepaea sp.) collected from Tattershall Thorpe in Lincolnshire. Following NaOCl treatment the d-aile/l-ile ratio increased (0.178 ± 0.014, n = 5), while both the total amino acid concentration and the variance declined.

AB - In studies of organic matter in fossil biominerals, there has been a widespread failure to distinguish between the organic matrix and organic matter trapped within the crystal elements. The existence of chemically isolated (intracrystalline) proteins are indicated by the persistence of amino acids after prolonged treatment with a strong chemical oxidant (NaOCl). The geochemical significance of these residual amino acids is illustrated by the re-analysis of aberrantly young d-aile/l-ile ratios (0.142 ± 0.042, n = 4) of amino acids from a land snail (Cepaea sp.) collected from Tattershall Thorpe in Lincolnshire. Following NaOCl treatment the d-aile/l-ile ratio increased (0.178 ± 0.014, n = 5), while both the total amino acid concentration and the variance declined.

KW - Amino acids

KW - bivalve molluscs

KW - chemical oxidation

KW - protein degradation

KW - racemization

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DO - 10.1016/0146-6380(95)00086-0

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VL - 23

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EP - 1065

JO - Organic Geochemistry

JF - Organic Geochemistry

IS - 11-12

ER -

The significance of a geochemically isolated intracrystalline organic fraction within biominerals

Abstract

Keywords

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