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Enhanced Nonenzymatic RNA Copying with 2-Aminoimidazole Activated Nucleotides.

ABSTRACT: Achieving efficient nonenzymatic replication of RNA is an important step toward the synthesis of self-replicating protocells that may mimic early forms of life. Despite recent progress, the nonenzymatic copying of templates containing mixed sequences remains slow and inefficient. Here we demonstrate that activating nucleotides with 2-aminoimidazole results in superior reaction kinetics and improved yields of primer extension reaction products. This new leaving group significantly accelerates monomer addition as well as trimer-assisted RNA primer extension, allowing efficient copying of a variety of short RNA templates with mixed sequences.

SUBMITTER: Li L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6326525 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Enhanced Nonenzymatic RNA Copying with 2-Aminoimidazole Activated Nucleotides.

Li Li L Prywes Noam N Tam Chun Pong CP O'Flaherty Derek K DK Lelyveld Victor S VS Izgu Enver Cagri EC Pal Ayan A Szostak Jack W JW

Journal of the American Chemical Society 20170124 5

Achieving efficient nonenzymatic replication of RNA is an important step toward the synthesis of self-replicating protocells that may mimic early forms of life. Despite recent progress, the nonenzymatic copying of templates containing mixed sequences remains slow and inefficient. Here we demonstrate that activating nucleotides with 2-aminoimidazole results in superior reaction kinetics and improved yields of primer extension reaction products. This new leaving group significantly accelerates mon ...[more]

PMID: 28117989

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