title: An approach to prebiotic synthesis of alpha-oligoribonucleotides and description of their properties: selective advantage of beta-RNA over alpha-RNA.
abstract: Oligomerization of alpha-adenosine 5'-phosphorimidazolide (alpha-ImpA) has been done in an aqueous solution using a uranyl-ion catalyst or a poly(U) template as a model process of prebiotic synthesis of RNA with alpha-glycosidic linkage. alpha-Oligoriboadenylates up to hexamer were formed from alpha-ImpA by the uranyl-ion catalyst. 3'-5' Linkage was mainly formed in the oligomerization. The poly(U) template mediated the oligomerization of alpha-ImpA, but to a very low extent. The yield and chain length of the resulting alpha-oligomers were far lower than those of the corresponding beta-oligomer formation under the same conditions. Physico-chemical properties of alpha-oligoriboadenylates are presented along with those of the corresponding beta-oligoriboadenylates. The results indicate that beta-RNA is more advantageous than alpha-RNA from the points of their synthesis and properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Gunma University, Kiryu, Gunma 376, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sawai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kokaji
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shinozuka
mesh_terms: D002942:Circular Dichroism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009843:Oligoribonucleotides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011072:Poly U; D012313:RNA / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013698:Templates, Genetic
chemical_list: D009843:Oligoribonucleotides; D011072:Poly U; D012313:RNA