Abstract
The abiotic origin of genetic polymers faces two major problems: a prebiotically plausible polymerization mechanism and the maintenance of their polymerized state outside a cellular environment. The stabilizing action of borate on ribose having been reported, we have explored the possibility that borate minerals stabilize RNA. We observe that borate itself does not stabilize RNA. The analysis of a large panel of minerals tested in various physical-chemical conditions shows that in general no protection on RNA backbone is exerted, with the interesting exception of ludwigite (Mg2Fe3+BO5). Stability is a fundamental property of nucleic polymers and borate is an abundant component of the planet, hence the prebiotic interest of this analysis.
Highlights
The intense debate on the nature of life has led to the minimalist definition: “a self-sustaining chemical system capable to undergo replication and Darwinian evolution” [1]
Each of the four concepts onto which this definition relies entails the existence of an informational polymer endowed of genetic functions
Polymers 2010, 2 theory [2,3,4] is based on the double nature of RNA, carrier of both genetic information and of the catalytic functions [5,6] from which RNA-mediated synthesis of other RNAs evolved
Summary
The intense debate on the nature of life has led to the minimalist definition: “a self-sustaining chemical system capable to undergo replication and Darwinian evolution” [1]. Each of the four concepts onto which this definition relies (self-sustenance, chemical information, replication, evolution) entails the existence of an informational polymer endowed of genetic functions. This function, plied on Earth in the vast majority of living systems by DNA, presumably originated as RNA. Polymers 2010, 2 theory [2,3,4] is based on the double nature of RNA, carrier of both genetic information and of the catalytic functions [5,6] from which RNA-mediated synthesis of other RNAs evolved. Extant nucleic acids have no natural substitutes. This very fact points to the relevance of the problems related to the origin and to the stability of their constituents
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