Question 5: on the Chemical Reality of the RNA World

Overview

Journal Orig Life Evol Biosph

Specialties Biology
Molecular Biology

Date 2007 Jun 28

PMID 17594532

Citations 2

Authors

Davide De Lucrezia

Fabrizio Anella

Cristiano Chiarabelli

Affiliations

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Abstract

The discovery of catalytic RNA has revolutionised modern molecular biology and bears important implications for the origin of Life research. Catalytic RNA, in particular self-replicating RNA, prompted the hypothesis of an early "RNA world" where RNA molecules played all major roles such information storage and catalysis. The actual role of RNA as primary actor in the origin of life has been under debate for a long time, with a particular emphasis on possible pathways to the prebiotic synthesis of mononucleotides; their polymerization and the possibility of spontaneous emergence of catalytic RNAs synthesised under plausible prebiotic conditions. However, little emphasis has been put on the chemical reality of an RNA world; in particular concerning the chemical constrains that such scenario should have met to be feasible. This paper intends to address those concerns with regard to the achievement of high local RNA molecules concentration and the aetiology of unique sequence under plausible prebiotic conditions.

Citing Articles

Chemical synthetic biology.

Chiarabelli C, Luisi P Sci Prog. 2014; 97(Pt 1):48-61.

PMID: 24800469 PMC: 10365344. DOI: 10.3184/003685014X13921159313230.

Computer simulation on the cooperation of functional molecules during the early stages of evolution.

Ma W, Hu J PLoS One. 2012; 7(4):e35454.

PMID: 22514745 PMC: 3325964. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035454.

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