️ 42: Amino Acids Catalyse RNA Formation — Unlocking Prebiotic Cross-Catalysis

️ Episode 42: Amino Acids Catalyse RNA Formation — Unlocking Prebiotic Cross-Catalysis In this episode of Base por Base, we delve into the groundbreaking 2025 Nature Communications study by Rout et al., which uncovers how simple amino acids, under ambient alkaline dry conditions, act as potent acid-base catalysts to drive non-enzymatic RNA oligomerisation from ribonucleoside-2′,3′-cyclic phosphates . Principais destaques:Amino acids elevate RNA oligomer yields by more than 100-fold at pH values near their amine pKa, enabling room-temperature polymerisation of 2′,3′-cyclic phosphates into oligomers up to seven nucleotides long . Hydrophobic residues such as valine, leucine and isoleucine exert the strongest catalytic enhancement, equalising incorporation of A, U, C and G bases to generate a compositionally diverse pool capable of hybridisation . Kinetic and pH-dependence assays reveal that amino acid-driven transphosphorylation rates peak at pH 9–10, where the zwitterionic balance maximises proton transfer both as general base and general acid . Classical and ab initio molecular simulations show that selectivity arises from preferential hydrogen-bonding interactions between amino-group donors and the cyclic phosphate, rather than bulk hydrophobic effects . The work outlines plausible prebiotic scenarios—such as volcanic, alkaline wet-dry cycles—where RNA synthesis and templated ligation could proceed without reliance on divalent cations . Conclusão:This study forges a vital link between amino acids and RNA in a reverse catalytic direction, presenting a credible pathway for the emergence of informational polymers under early Earth conditions and inspiring new explorations of cross-catalytic networks in origin-of-life research. Referência:Rout, S. K., Wunnava, S., Krepl, M., Cassone, G., Šponer, J.E., Mast, C.B., Powner, M.W. & Braun, D. (2025). Amino acids catalyse RNA formation under ambient alkaline conditions. Nature Communications, 16, 5193. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60359-3 Licença:Este episódio baseia-se num artigo de acesso aberto publicado sob a licença Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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