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Biogeosciences, 3, 243-249, 2006
www.biogeosciences.net/3/243/2006/
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The nonenzymatic template-directed ligation of oligonucleotides

A. V. Lutay, E. L. Chernolovskaya, M. A. Zenkova, and V. V. Vlassov
Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, Lavrentiev Avenue 8, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia

Abstract. The nonenzymatic template-directed ligation of oligonucleotides containing 2', 3'-cyclic phosphate was investigated in the presence of divalent cations. Ligation of the oligonucleotides readily occurred in the presence of Mg2+, Mn2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Pb2+. Efficacy of the metal ion catalysts inversely correlated with pKa values of the metal-bound water molecules. The intermolecular transesterification reaction yielded at least 95metal ion. Relatively high reaction yields (up to 15fragmentation to oligonucleotides with 2',3'-cyclic phosphates, followed by reactions of those oligonucleotides could provide a source of new RNA molecules under prebiotic conditions.

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Citation: Lutay, A. V., Chernolovskaya, E. L., Zenkova, M. A., and Vlassov, V. V.: The nonenzymatic template-directed ligation of oligonucleotides, Biogeosciences, 3, 243-249, 2006.   Bibtex   EndNote   Reference Manager