title: Formamide chemistry and the origin of informational polymers.
abstract: Formamide (HCONH2) provides a chemical frame potentially affording all the monomeric components necessary for the formation of nucleic polymers. In the presence of the appropriate catalysts, and by moderate heating, formamide yields a complete set of nucleic bases, acyclonucleosides, and favors both phosphorylations and transphosphorylations. Physico-chemical conditions exist in which formamide favors the stability of the phosphoester bonds in nucleic polymers more than that of the same bonds in monomers. This property establishes 'thermodynamic niches' in which the polymeric forms are favored. The hypothesis that these specific attributes of formamide allowed the onset of prebiotic chemical equilibria capable of Darwinian evolution is discussed.
authors: Dipartimento A. B. A. C., Università della Tuscia, Via San Camillo De Lellis, I-01100 Viterbo.
authors: Raffaele
authors: R
authors: Saladino
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Crestini
authors: Fabiana
authors: F
authors: Ciciriello
authors: Giovanna
authors: G
authors: Costanzo
authors: Ernesto
authors: E
authors: Di Mauro
mesh_terms: D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D005559:Formamides / Q000737:chemistry*; D006856:Hydrogen Cyanide / Q000737:chemistry; D017953:Isocyanates / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D005559:Formamides; D017953:Isocyanates; D009711:Nucleotides; D006856:Hydrogen Cyanide; C031066:formamide; D004247:DNA