Catalysts for the self-polymerization of adenosine cyclic 2′,3′-phosphate

Summary

When adenosine cyclic 2′,3′-phosphate is evaporated from solution in the presence of simple catalysts such as aliphatic diamines at alkaline pH, and maintained in a dry state at moderate temperatures (25-85°C), self-polymerization to give oligonucleotides of chainlength up to at least 6 is observed. The products contain an excess of [3′→5′]-linkages over [2′→5′]-linkages. The effects of different catalysts and reaction conditions on the efficiency of the reaction are described. The prebiological relevance of these reactions is discussed.