Download | - View final version: Adenosine monophosphate forms ordered arrays in multilamellar lipid matrices: insights into assembly of nucleic acid for primitive life (PDF, 1.8 MiB)
|
---|
DOI | Resolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0062810 |
---|
Author | Search for: Toppozini, L.; Search for: Dies, H.; Search for: Deamer, D. W.; Search for: Rheinstädter, M. C.1 |
---|
Affiliation | - National Research Council of Canada
|
---|
Format | Text, Article |
---|
Subject | adenosine phosphate; dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine; nucleic acid; phosphate; ribose; Bragg peak; crystal structure; mathematical phenomena; molecular biology; molecule lateral organization; multilamellar phospholipid matrix; nucleic acid assembly; nucleic acid structure; nucleic acid structure, metabolism and function; phospholipid bilayer; polymerization; radiation scattering; structure analysis |
---|
Abstract | A fundamental question of biology is how nucleic acids first assembled and then were incorporated into the earliest forms of cellular life 4 billion years ago. The polymerization of nucleotides is a condensation reaction in which phosphodiester bonds are formed. This reaction cannot occur in aqueous solutions, but guided polymerization in an anhydrous lipid environment could promote a non-enzymatic condensation reaction in which oligomers of single stranded nucleic acids are synthesized. We used X-ray scattering to investigate 5′-adenosine monophosphate (AMP) molecules captured in a multilamellar phospholipid matrix composed of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine. Bragg peaks corresponding to the lateral organization of the confined AMP molecules were observed. Instead of forming a random array, the AMP molecules are highly entangled, with the phosphate and ribose groups in close proximity. This structure may facilitate polymerization of the nucleotides into RNA-like polymers. |
---|
Publication date | 2013-05-07 |
---|
Publisher | PLOS |
---|
In | |
---|
Language | English |
---|
Peer reviewed | Yes |
---|
NPARC number | 21269863 |
---|
Export citation | Export as RIS |
---|
Report a correction | Report a correction (opens in a new tab) |
---|
Record identifier | 85156115-3a21-4196-8cce-cbcdf7c9893c |
---|
Record created | 2013-12-13 |
---|
Record modified | 2020-05-29 |
---|