Borate Minerals and RNA Stability

Abstract

Abstract:The abiotic origin of genetic polymers faces two major problems: a prebiotically plausible polymerization mechanism and the maintenance of their polymerized state outside a cellular environment. The stabilizing action of borate on ribose having been reported, we have explored the possibility that borate minerals stabilize RNA. We observe that borate itself does not stabilize RNA. The analysis of a large panel of minerals tested in various physical-chemical conditions shows that in general no protection on RNA backbone is exerted, with the interesting exception of ludwigite (Mg 2 Fe 3 +BO 5 ). Stability is a fundamental property of nucleic polymers and borate is an abundant component of the planet, hence the prebiotic interest of this analysis.

Catalytic effects of Murchison Material: Prebiotic Synthesis and Degradation of RNA Precursors

“…In the previous studies 1 mg/mL of the minerals under analysis (iron sulphur minerals) quickly degraded RNA. Similar results were obtained in the analysis of the effect of RNA stability in the presence of a large panel of borate minerals (Cossetti et al 2010). Thus, at this concentration the mineral is in excess, as also shown by the fact that a 10-fold increase or decrease did not change the results (data not shown).…”

“…The synthesis of nucleobases from formamide would not be significant unless the bases could be incorporated into polymers that had a useful lifetime in prebiotic conditions. For instance, we reported earlier that both iron sulfur and borate minerals actively promote RNA degradation , Cossetti et al 2010) in physicalchemical conditions comparable to those that promoted synthesis of RNA precursors. However, we observed little or no catalytic effect of Murchison minerals in promoting hydrolysis of phosphodiester bonds of RNA.…”

Abiotic Regioselective Phosphorylation of Adenosine with Borate in Formamide

“…For example, the stabilization of ribose and other 5-carbon sugars by borate minerals reduces the formation of asphalts, making these species plausibly better precursors for RNA prebiotic synthesis (Ricardo et al, 2004;Kim et al, 2011;Furukawa et al, 2013). Other work related to borate and prebiotic chemistry has been done (Prieur, 2001a(Prieur, , 2001bSpringsteen and Joyce, 2004;Kofoed et al, 2005;Scorei and Cimpoiasu, 2006;Amaral et al, 2008;Rauchfuss, 2008;Cossetti et al, 2010;Grew et al, 2011;Scorei, 2012;Stephenson et al, 2013).…”

New evolutionary insights into the non‐enzymatic origin of RNA oligomers

“…This apparent paradox might be one of the keys to understanding its origin. The instability of the weaker bonds in RNA precursors and polymerized RNA has been rigorously analysed both in water and in the presence of a large set of different minerals (Refs and references therein).…”