Scheme 1. The RNA world concept. a) Transition from ah omogeneous RNA backbone to ah omogeneous DNA backbone is assumed during the invention of DNA by RNA, b) without consideration of the role of heterogeneous backbone chimeric sequences that would be formed.[*] Dr.
The RNA world hypothesis posits that DNA and proteins were later inventions of early life, or the chemistry that gave rise to life. Most scenarios put forth for the emergence of DNA assume a clean separation of RNA and DNA polymer, and a smooth transition between RNA and DNA. However, based on the reality of "clutter" and lack of sophisticated separation/discrimination mechanisms in a protobiological (and/or prebiological) world, heterogeneous RNA-DNA backbone containing chimeric sequences could have been common-and have not been fully considered in models transitioning from an RNA world to an RNA-DNA world. Herein we show that there is a significant decrease in Watson-Crick duplex stability of the heterogeneous backbone chimeric duplexes that would impede base-pair mediated interactions (and functions). These results point to the difficulties for the transition from one homogeneous system (RNA) to another (RNA/DNA) in an RNA world with a heterogeneous mixture of ribo- and deoxyribonucleotides and sequences, while suggesting an alternative scenario of prebiological accumulation and co-evolution of homogeneous systems (RNA and DNA).
Under potentially prebiotic scenarios, ribose (pentose), the component of RNA is formed in meager amounts, as opposed to ribulose and xylulose (pentuloses). Consequently, replacement of ribose in RNA, with pentulose sugars, gives rise to prospective oligonucleotide candidates that are potentially prebiotic structural variants of RNA that could be formed by the same type of chemical pathways that gave rise to RNA from ribose. The potentially natural alternative (1'→3')-ribulo oligonucleotides and (4'→3')- and (1'→3')-xylulo oligonucleotides consisting of adenine and thymine were synthesized and found to exhibit no self-pairing or cross-pairing with RNA. This signifies that even though pentulose sugars may have been abundant in a prebiotic scenario, the pentulose nucleic acids (NAs), if and when formed, would not have been competitors of RNA, or interfered with the emergence of RNA as a functional informational system. The reason for the lack of base pairing in pentulose NA highlights the contrasting and central role played by the furanosyl ring in RNA and pentulose NA, enabling and optimizing the base pairing in RNA, while impeding it in pentulose NA.
Microwave-assisted phosphitylation of sterically hindered nucleosides is demonstrated to be an efficient method for the preparation of corresponding phosphoramidites (otherwise onerous under standard conditions) and is shown to be general in its applicability.
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