The search for a potentially prebiotic synthesis of nucleotides via arabinose-3-phosphate and its cyanamide derivative.
For the RNA world hypothesis to be accepted, the constitutional self-assembly of RNA will have to be demonstrated. Conceptually, the simplest route to RNA involves nucleotide polymerisation. Activated pyrimidine nucleotides can be derived from arabinose-3-phosphate under potentially prebiotic conditions, but the prebiotic synthesis of this sugar phosphate has not hitherto been investigated. The results of synthetic approaches involving phosphorylation, phosphate migration and 2,3-C--C bond construction are described herein.
Anastasi
Carole
C
School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
Buchet
Fabien F
FF
Crowe
Michael A
MA
Helliwell
Madeleine
M
Raftery
Jim
J
Sutherland
John D
JD
D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D003484:Cyanamide / Q000737:chemistry*; D019418:Evolution, Chemical; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000737:chemistry; D000069497:Origin of Life; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000737:chemistry; D013403:Sugar Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry*
D009711:Nucleotides; D010755:Organophosphates; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013403:Sugar Phosphates; C528334:arabinose-3-phosphate; C414399:cyclotriphosphoric acid; D003484:Cyanamide; C030986:pyrimidine