Nonenzymatic RNA copying with a potentially primordial genetic alphabet.

ABSTRACT: Nonenzymatic RNA copying is thought to have been responsible for the replication of genetic information during the origin of life. However, chemical copying with the canonical nucleotides (A, U, G, and C) strongly favors the incorporation of G and C and disfavors the incorporation of A and especially U because of the stronger G:C vs. A:U base pair and the weaker stacking interactions of U. Recent advances in prebiotic chemistry suggest that the 2-thiopyrimidines were precursors to the canonical pyrimidines, raising the possibility that they may have played an important early role in RNA copying chemistry. Furthermore, 2-thiouridine (s²U) and inosine (I) form by deamination of 2-thiocytidine (s²C) and A, respectively. We used thermodynamic and crystallographic analyses

SUBMITTER: Fang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12130883 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature