Amino Acid Racemization and the Preservation of Ancient DNA Journal Articles

abstract

• The extent of racemization of aspartic acid, alanine, and leucine provides criteria for assessing whether ancient tissue samples contain endogenous DNA. In samples in which the D/L ratio of aspartic acid exceeds 0.08, ancient DNA sequences could not be retrieved. Paleontological finds from which DNA sequences purportedly millions of years old have been reported show extensive racemization, and the amino acids present are mainly contaminates. An exception is the amino acids in some insects preserved in amber.

authors

• Poinar, Hendrik
• Höss, Matthias
• Bada, Jeffrey L
• Pääbo, Svante

status

• published 

publication date

• May 10, 1996

has subject area

• Alanine (MeSH)
• Amber (MeSH)
• Amino Acids (MeSH)
• Animals (MeSH)
• Aspartic Acid (MeSH)
• DNA (MeSH)
• Fossils (MeSH)
• General Science & Technology (Science Metrix)
• History, Ancient (MeSH)
• Humans (MeSH)
• Leucine (MeSH)
• Paleontology (MeSH)
• Stereoisomerism (MeSH)

published in

• Science  Journal

keywords

• Alanine
• Amber
• Amino Acids
• Animals
• Aspartic Acid
• DNA
• Fossils
• History, Ancient
• Humans
• Leucine
• NASA Discipline Exobiology
• Non-NASA Center
• Paleontology
• Stereoisomerism

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1126/science.272.5263.864

PubMed ID

• 8629020

start page

• 864

end page

• 866

volume

• 272

issue

• 5263