{
  "abstract": "A central question in origin-of-life research is how biological macromolecules and cellular structures arose from simple precursors under prebiotic conditions. This review focuses on the chemical evolution model of N-phosphoryl amino acids (NPAAs) and their multifaceted roles in this process. Featuring high-energy P-N bonds, NPAAs enable intramolecular activation via pentacoordinate phosphorus intermediates, facilitating the formation of homochiral peptides and nucleotides under mild aqueous conditions. Moreover, N-amino acid-nucleotide conjugates (N-aa-NMPs) drive peptide formation with chiral selection between amino acids and nucleosides, where the peptide yield for each amino acid is modulated by specific nucleosides, thereby laying a foundation for a proto-genetic code. Additionally, amphiphilic NPAA derivatives spontaneously self-assemble into vesicles and selectively condense peptides at membrane interfaces, whereas the in situ generation of N-fatty acyl amino acids further enhances membrane stability. Collectively, these findings support a phosphorus-centered model for the integrated origin of nucleic acids, proteins, and membranes.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang315211, China.",
    "Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen361005, China.",
    "State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Target Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen361102, China.",
    "Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jianxi Ying",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1035-5345"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yan Liu",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6112-7898"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Songsen Fu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3524-8108"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Xiang Gao",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3774-1852"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Yufen Zhao",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3560-435X"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4k7awwbhg7abe.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1021/acs.accounts.6c00206",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13584990",
  "id": "4k7awwbhg7abe",
  "issns": [
    "0001-4842",
    "1520-4898"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42915055",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3103|Origins and Evolution of Life"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7172391100",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13584990?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13584990",
  "pmid": "42915055",
  "published": "2026-09-01",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4k7awwbhg7abe.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:02Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42915055",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42915055"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "openalex:3103|Origins and Evolution of Life",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Phosphorus Chemistry and the Origin of Life: From N-Phosphoryl Amino Acid to Protocell.",
  "title_text": "Phosphorus Chemistry and the Origin of Life: From N-Phosphoryl Amino Acid to Protocell.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4k7awwbhg7abe",
  "venue": "Accounts of chemical research",
  "versions": []
}