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Template-directed synthesis and selective adsorption of oligoadenylates on hydroxyapatite

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Summary

Polyuridylic acid is adsorbed completely from aqueous solution by hydroxyapatite under conditions that permit template-directed synthesis of oligoadenylates in free solution. The yield of oligoadenylates is enhanced to almost the same extent by poly(U) in the presence or the absence of hydroxyapatite. Under very similar conditions small quantities of hydroxyapatite adsorb higher molecular-weight oligoadenylates selectively from a mixture of oligomers.

On the basis of these results we propose a mechanism for prebiotic oligonucleotide formation in which selective adsorption on hydroxyapatite or some other immobilized anion-exchanging material plays a major role. Monomers are released from the surface for reactivation, while oligomers are retained in a protected environment by adsorption to the apatite surface.

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Abbreviations

poly(U):

polyuridylate

HA:

hydroxyapatite

ImpA:

adenosine 5′-phosphorimidazolide

pA:

adenosine 5′-phosphate

ADP:

adenosine 5′-diphosphate

MeIm:

1-methylimidazole

EDTA:

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

(pA)n (n = 2, 3, 4⋯):

oligoadenylates with 5′-terminal phosphates

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 92138, San Diego, California, USA

    D. Gibbs, R. Lohrmann & L. E. Orgel

Authors
  1. D. Gibbs
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  2. R. Lohrmann
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  3. L. E. Orgel
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Additional information

The nature of the internucleotide linkages is not specified

The nature of the internucleotide linkages is not specified

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Gibbs, D., Lohrmann, R. & Orgel, L.E. Template-directed synthesis and selective adsorption of oligoadenylates on hydroxyapatite. J Mol Evol 15, 347–354 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01733141

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01733141

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