Direct Prebiotic Pathway to DNA Nucleosides

Teichert, Jennifer S.; Kruse, Florian M. and Trapp, Oliver (2019): Direct Prebiotic Pathway to DNA Nucleosides. In: Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, Vol. 58, No. 29: pp. 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.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Chemistry and Pharmacy > Department of Chemistry
• Subjects: 500 Science > 540 Chemistry
• ISSN: 1433-7851
• Language: English