title: May cyclic nucleotides be a source for abiotic RNA synthesis?
abstract: Nucleic bases are obtained by heating formamide in the presence of various catalysts. Formamide chemistry also allows the formation of acyclonucleosides and the phosphorylation of nucleosides in every possible position, also affording 2',3' and 3',5' cyclic forms. We have reported that 3',5' cyclic GMP and 3',5' cyclic AMP polymerize in abiotic conditions yielding short oligonucleotides. The characterization of this reaction is being pursued, several of its parameters have been determined and experimental caveats are reported. The yield of non-enzymatic polymerization of cyclic purine nucleotides is very low. Polymerization is strongly enhanced by the presence of base-complementary RNA sequences.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari CNR, P.le Aldo Moro, 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Costanzo
authors.forename: Samanta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pino
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Botta
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saladino
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Mauro
mesh_terms: D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000737:chemistry*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000737:chemistry*; D005559:Formamides / Q000737:chemistry; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry*; D058105:Polymerization; D011687:Purines / Q000737:chemistry; D018075:RNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005559:Formamides; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D011687:Purines; D018075:RNA, Complementary; C031066:formamide; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D006152:Cyclic GMP