title: Synthetic genetic polymers capable of heredity and evolution.
abstract: Genetic information storage and processing rely on just two polymers, DNA and RNA, yet whether their role reflects evolutionary history or fundamental functional constraints is currently unknown. With the use of polymerase evolution and design, we show that genetic information can be stored in and recovered from six alternative genetic polymers based on simple nucleic acid architectures not found in nature [xeno-nucleic acids (XNAs)]. We also select XNA aptamers, which bind their targets with high affinity and specificity, demonstrating that beyond heredity, specific XNAs have the capacity for Darwinian evolution and folding into defined structures. Thus, heredity and evolution, two hallmarks of life, are not limited to DNA and RNA but are likely to be emergent properties of polymers capable of information storage.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
authors.forename: Vitor B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: Alexander I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cozens
authors.forename: Mikhail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abramov
authors.forename: Marleen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Renders
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chaput
authors.forename: Jesper
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wengel
authors.forename: Sew-Yeu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Peak-Chew
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: Piet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Herdewijn
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Holliger
mesh_terms: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019020:Directed Molecular Evolution; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D048348:Reverse Transcription; D013698:Templates, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D011108:Polymers; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase