Origin of life-proposed mechanisms for primeval polynucleotide and peptide chain synthesis

Abstract

A detailed hypothetical non-enzymatic replicative system for the primordial production of peptide chains and polynucleotide chains is proposed, in which the polynucleotide chains are assigned template properties in the assembly of the amino acids. The mechanism for polypeptide chain synthesis rests upon the assumption that amino acids can form specific attachments to the edges of polynucleotide doublets of the polynucleotide template strands through hydrogen bonds or other types of bonding. The amino acids are then assumed to form more firm links with the template strands by esterification of the amino acid carboxyl groups with the C 2′OH groups of the polynucleotide strands, and finally to peel off from the latter in the form of polypeptide chains through the process of amide bond formation. The non-enzymatic formation of single- and double-stranded polynucleotides is also discussed, and the hypothetical system proposed depicts the formation of polynucleotide and polypeptide chains as a coupled process.