Synthesis and degradation of nucleic Acid components by formamide and cosmic dust analogues.
We show the unprecedented one-pot synthesis of a large suite of pyrimidines (including cytosine and uracil) and purines from formamide in the presence of cosmic-dust analogues (CDAs) of olivines. Since the major problem in the origin of informational macromolecules is the instability of their precursors, we also investigate the stabilizing effect of CDAs on the intrinsic instability of oligonucleotides in formamide.
Saladino
Raffaele
R
Dipartimento A.B.A.C., Università della Tuscia, Via San Camillo De Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy. saladino@unitus.it
Crestini
Claudia
C
Neri
Veronica
V
Brucato
John R
JR
Colangeli
Luigi
L
Ciciriello
Fabiana
F
Di Mauro
Ernesto
E
Costanzo
Giovanna
G
D002384:Catalysis; D019443:Cosmic Dust; D003596:Cytosine / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D005559:Formamides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058085:Iron Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D017616:Magnesium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D017633:Magnesium Silicates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000378:metabolism; D011687:Purines / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D017640:Silicates / Q000737:chemistry; D014498:Uracil / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000378:metabolism
D019443:Cosmic Dust; D005559:Formamides; D058085:Iron Compounds; D017616:Magnesium Compounds; D017633:Magnesium Silicates; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D011687:Purines; D017640:Silicates; C031066:formamide; D014498:Uracil; D003596:Cytosine; C034475:olivine