Issue 30, 2016

Formation of supramolecular assemblies and liquid crystals by purine nucleobases and cyanuric acid in water: implications for the possible origins of RNA

Abstract

The free nucleobases and mononucleotides of RNA do not form Watson–Crick base pairs in water, a fact that presents several challenges for the prebiotic synthesis of RNA. 2,6-Diaminopurine and adenosine-5′-monophosphate (AMP) are shown to form supramolecular assemblies with cyanuric acid in water. These assemblies and their propensity to form liquid crystals suggest a possible means by which non-covalent structures might have originally selected the shape of the Watson–Crick base pairs.

Graphical abstract: Formation of supramolecular assemblies and liquid crystals by purine nucleobases and cyanuric acid in water: implications for the possible origins of RNA

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
06 Maijs 2016
Accepted
23 Maijs 2016
First published
24 Maijs 2016

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016,18, 20091-20096

Formation of supramolecular assemblies and liquid crystals by purine nucleobases and cyanuric acid in water: implications for the possible origins of RNA

C. Li, B. J. Cafferty, S. C. Karunakaran, G. B. Schuster and N. V. Hud, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, 18, 20091 DOI: 10.1039/C6CP03047E

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