A model on the origin of RNA.
The theory of the liquid-glass transition is extended to describe the polymerization of RNA in a nucleotide-condensed state. In the glassy state the ribose subunits are joined by a 2'-5' or 3'-5' phosphodiester linkage to form the ribose-phosphate backbone similar to oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. The occurrence of the glass transition requires two conditions: (1) a supercooled state in a nucleotide-condensed state should exist below the temperature at which the whole RNA hydrolyzes; (2) the Gibbs free energy due to the Kauzmann entropy, which obeys a Curie law with a negative sign, must be larger than the height of the potential barrier for nucleotides to overcome to form the binding.
Kitamura
Toyoyuki
T
Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46, Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.
Peyrard
Michel
M
Cuesta Lopez
Santiago
S
D008954:Models, Biological; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D044367:Phase Transition; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry*
D009711:Nucleotides; D012313:RNA