Direct Prebiotic Pathway to DNA Nucleosides

Teichert, Jennifer S.; Kruse, Florian M. und Trapp, Oliver (2019): Direct Prebiotic Pathway to DNA Nucleosides. In: Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, Bd. 58, Nr. 29: S. 9944-9947

Abstract

It is assumed that RNA played a key role in the origin of life, and the transition to more complex but more stable DNA for continuous information storage and replication requires the development of a ribonucleotide reductase to obtain the deoxyribonucleotides from ribonucleotides. This step, as well as an alternative path from abiotic molecules to DNA- based life is completely unknown. Shown here is the formation of deoxyribonucleosides under relevant prebiotic conditions in water in high regio- and stereoselectivity, from all canonical purine and pyrimidine bases, by condensation with acetaldehyde and sugar- forming precursors. Thus, a continuous path to deoxyribonucleosides, starting from simple, prebiotically available molecules has been discovered. Furthermore, the deoxyapionucleosides ( DApiNA) were identified as a potential DNA progenitor. The results suggest that the DNAworld evolved much earlier than previously assumed.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Chemie und Pharmazie > Department Chemie
• Themengebiete: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 540 Chemie
• ISSN: 1433-7851
• Sprache: Englisch