Sequence- and regioselectivity in the montmorillonite-catalyzed synthesis of RNA

The possible role of catalysis in forming a limited number of RNAs from activated monomers is investigated by examining the sequence- and regioselectivity in the montmorillonite-catalyzed formation of RNA dinners and trimers. The reactivity of A was similar to that of G, and C was comparable in reactivity to U. Yet the reactivity of the purine nucleotides differed from that of the pyrimidines. In the reaction of nucleotides (pN) with activated monomers (ImpN), the sequence- and regioselectivity was pu(3')py > (PuPu)-Pu-3' = (PuPy)-Py-2' > (PuPu)-Pu-2'. The 5'-pyrimidine initiated dimers formed less efficiently than the 5'-purine initiated dimers. Trimer formation was investigated by the synthesis of 8 dimers (pNpN) and measuring the yields of trimers formed in the reaction of each dimer with a mixture of equal molar amounts of four activated monomers. The reactivity of the dimers depended on the nucleotide attached to the X-end of the RNA and the regiochemistry of the phosphodiester bond. Rules based on these studies are proposed to predict the sequence- and regioselectivity of the RNAs formed in montmorillonite-catalyzed reactions. These rules are consistent with the structures of the 2-5-mers formed in the reaction of equimolar amounts of ImpA and ImpC. This research establishes that the montmorillonite catalyst limits the number of RNA oligomer isomers formed. The potential significance of these findings to the origins of life is discussed.