title: About a formamide-based origin of informational polymers: syntheses of nucleobases and favourable thermodynamic niches for early polymers.
abstract: Formamide NH(2)CHO chemistry provides a unitary frame into which several pieces of the origin-of-life puzzle may be adjusted. Synthetic processes were uncovered which, starting from formamide and prebiotically easily available common catalysts, yield all the necessary nucleic bases precursors, including acyclonucleosides. Formamide allows phosphorylations and trans-phosphorylations, favours the micellar aggregation of surfactants and, most importantly, determines conditions in which the formation of nucleic polymers is thermodynamically favoured. In the detected conditions, the phosphoester bonds are more stable in the polymeric than in the monomeric form, thus allowing formation and survival of informational nucleic polymers.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento A.B.A.C., Università della Tuscia, Via San Camillo De Lellis, Viterbo 01100, Italy. Saladino@unitus.it
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saladino
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crestini
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciciriello
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Costanzo
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Mauro
mesh_terms: D019418:Evolution, Chemical; D005559:Formamides / Q000737:chemistry*; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D000069497:Origin of Life; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005559:Formamides; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D009705:Nucleosides; D011108:Polymers; C031066:formamide