Making Molecules with Clay: Layered Double Hydroxides, Pentopyranose Nucleic Acids and the Origin of Life
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Hypothesis
- The demonstrated prebiotically plausible formation of the pentose–diphosphate backbone monomers; and, conversely, the absence of this for the RNA backbone subunit.
- The structural features of pentopyranose systems, for example the large angle of inclination between base pairs and backbone, that make them structurally suited for nonenzymatic replication using plausibly prebiotic 2′,3′-cyclic phosphate-activated monomers.
- The greater pairing strength of pentopyranose systems—important to counterbalance the initial weaker interactions between purine nucleobase precursors—to allow stable duplex formation and nonenzymatic replication.
- The fact that a pentopyranose system provides a—structural and possibly also catalytic—stepping stone to RNA, removing some of the difficulties in the RNA backbone arising de novo.
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
AICAR | 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside |
dICAR | 1-(2-Deoxy-β-d-ribofuranosyl)-imidazole-4-carboxamide |
G2P | Glyceraldehyde-2-phosphate |
GAP | Glycolaldehyde phosphate |
GMP | Guanosine-5-monophosphate |
LDH | Layered double hydroxide |
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Bernhardt, H.S. Making Molecules with Clay: Layered Double Hydroxides, Pentopyranose Nucleic Acids and the Origin of Life. Life 2019, 9, 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/life9010019
Bernhardt HS. Making Molecules with Clay: Layered Double Hydroxides, Pentopyranose Nucleic Acids and the Origin of Life. Life. 2019; 9(1):19. https://doi.org/10.3390/life9010019
Chicago/Turabian StyleBernhardt, Harold S. 2019. "Making Molecules with Clay: Layered Double Hydroxides, Pentopyranose Nucleic Acids and the Origin of Life" Life 9, no. 1: 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/life9010019