title: Early chemical evolution of nucleic acids: a theoretical model.
abstract: Recent experimental work suggests a possible cyclical pathway for early prebiotic oligonucleotide formation that involves (i) dry-state (nontemplate) synthesis of random copolymers with mixed 2',5' and 3',5' bonds, (ii) passage of these oligomers into solution at low temperatures, and (iii) a preferential hydrolysis of the 2',5' bond in any short helices that have formed. This early system could have selected for complementary sequences that were largely 3',5'-linked, but may not have selected efficiently for a single enantiomer of ribose.
mesh_terms: D003080:Cold Temperature; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006813:Humidity; D008954:Models, Biological; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013698:Templates, Genetic
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids