title: Exploratory studies to investigate a linked prebiotic origin of RNA and coded peptides.
abstract: An introduction to the premise that RNA and genetically coded proteins should not be viewed as etiologically discrete entities in the origin of life is presented. This premise follows from the mutual interdependence of RNA and coded proteins in biology and the lack of prebiotically plausible constitutional self-assembly processes leading to either polymeric species. The RNA:coded peptides subsystem and its informational core, the genetic code, are then analysed retrosynthetically to suggest a (replicative) synthesis involving the intermediacy of aminoacyl-RNA trimers (cf. Scheme 5). A number of potential candidate aminoacyl-RNA trimers are identified (23-26; Scheme 6) and a chemical strategy to assess their validity is outlined. Experimental investigation of potential aminoacylation chemistry, nucleobase assembly and phosphate activation rules out three of the trimers but suggests that 26 is worthy of further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: Vinciane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Borsenberger
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lehbauer
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raftery
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helliwell
authors.forename: Kajal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bhutia
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Sutherland
mesh_terms: D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005815:Genetic Code / Q000235:genetics*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D012313:RNA