Abstract
Short phosphorothioate oligonucleotides have been prepared by refluxing an equimolar mixture of thymidine and triethylammonium phosphite in toluene in the presence of elemental sulfur. Desulfurization and subsequent digestion of the products by P1 nuclease revealed that nearly 80% of the internucleosidic linkages thus formed were of the canonical 3´,5´-type.
Highlights
The most crucial step in the origin of life was the prebiotic formation of information carrying polymers
The present paper describes the polymerization of thymidine and triethylammonium phosphite, with elemental sulfur acting as the oxidant
Equimolar amounts of thymidine and aq triethylammonium phosphite and a fourfold excess of S8 were suspended in toluene
Summary
The most crucial step in the origin of life was the prebiotic formation of information carrying polymers. The monoesters may react further to H-phosphonate diesters but this is an equilibrium process that under aqueous conditions favors the starting materials [13]. Oxidation of the H-phosphonate diester products, converts them to the stable phosphodiester counterparts.
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