Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://dr.iiserpune.ac.in:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/4643
Title: Geochemical influences on nonenzymatic oligomerization of prebiotically relevant cyclic nucleotides
Authors: DAGAR, SHIKHA
SARKAR, SUSOVAN
RAJAMANI, SUDHA
Dept. of Biology
Keywords: Dehydration–rehydration cycles
Lipid-assisted oligomerization
Cyclic nucleotides
Candidate prebiotic environments
Hot springs
TOC-MAY-2020
2020
2020-MAY-WEEK4
Issue Date: Jun-2020
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
Citation: RNA, 26(6), 756-769.
Abstract: The spontaneous emergence of long RNA molecules on the early Earth, a phenomenon central to the RNA World hypothesis, continues to remain an enigma in the field of origins of life. Few studies have looked at the nonenzymatic oligomerization of cyclic mononucleotides under neutral to alkaline conditions, albeit in fully dehydrated state. In this study, we systematically investigated the oligomerization of cyclic nucleotides under prebiotically relevant conditions, wherein starting reactants were subjected to repeated dehydration–rehydration (DH–RH) regimes. DH–RH conditions, a recurring geological theme that was prevalent on prebiotic Earth, are driven by naturally occurring processes including diurnal cycles and tidal pool activity. These conditions have been shown to facilitate uphill oligomerization reactions. The polymerization of 2′–3′ and 3′–5′ cyclic nucleotides of a purine (adenosine) and a pyrimidine (cytidine) was investigated. Additionally, the effect of amphiphiles was also evaluated. Furthermore, to discern the effect of “realistic” conditions on this process, the reactions were also performed using a hot spring water sample from a candidate early Earth environment. Our study showed that the oligomerization of cyclic nucleotides under DH–RH conditions resulted in intact informational oligomers. Amphiphiles increased the stability of both the starting monomers and the resultant oligomers in selected reactions. In the hot spring reactions, both the oligomerization of nucleotides and the back hydrolysis of the resultant oligomers were pronounced. Altogether, this study demonstrates how nonenzymatic oligomerization of cyclic nucleotides, under both laboratory-simulated prebiotic conditions and in a candidate early Earth environment, could have resulted in RNA oligomers of a putative RNA World.
URI: http://dr.iiserpune.ac.in:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/4643
https://doi.org/10.1261/rna.074302.119
ISSN: 1355-8382
1469-9001
Appears in Collections:JOURNAL ARTICLES

Files in This Item:
There are no files associated with this item.


Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.