title: Polyphosphorylation and non-enzymatic template-directed ligation of oligonucleotides.
abstract: Oligonucleotide 5'-polyphosphates are formed under potentially prebiotic conditions from oligonucleotide 5'-phosphates and sodium trimetaphosphate. Oligonucleotides activated as polyphosphates undergo template-directed ligation. We believe that these reactions could have produced longer oligonucleotide products from shorter substrates under prebiotic conditions.
authors.affiliation: The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego, CA 92186-5800, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Orgel
mesh_terms: D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011122:Polyphosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D013698:Templates, Genetic
chemical_list: D009841:Oligonucleotides; D011122:Polyphosphates