Journal
BIOGEOSCIENCES
Volume 3, Issue 3, Pages 243-249Publisher
EUROPEAN GEOSCIENCES UNION
DOI: 10.5194/bg-3-243-2006
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The nonenzymatic template-directed ligation of oligonucleotides containing 2',3'-cyclic phosphate was investigated in the presence of divalent cations. Ligation of the oligonucleotides readily occurred in the presence of Mg2+, Mn2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Pb2+. Efficacy of the metal ion catalysts inversely correlated with pKa values of the metal-bound water molecules. The intermolecular transesterification reaction yielded at least 95% of 2',5'-phosphodiester bonds independently on the nature of the metal ion. Relatively high reaction yields (up to 15%) suggest, that RNA fragmentation to oligonucleotides with 2',3'- cyclic phosphates, followed by reactions of those oligonucleotides could provide a source of new RNA molecules under prebiotic conditions.
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