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Formation of nucleoside 5′-phosphoramidates under potentially prebiological conditions

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Summary

Adenosine 5′-phosphoramidates form when solutions containing adenosine 5′-polyphosphates pnA (n ≧ 3) or P1, P2-diadenosine 5′-diphosphate and amines are allowed to dry out. Mg ions catalyze these reactions. We have studied systems containing ammonia, imidazole, glycine, ethylenediamine and histamine. The yields of adenosine 5′-phosphoramidates range from 10–50 % based on the nucleotide. The prebiotic significance of the reactions is discussed.

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Abbreviations

Im:

imidazole

hist:

histamine

gly:

glycine

en:

ethylenediamine

CDI:

1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide hydrochloride

EDTA:

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

A:

adenosine

Pn (n = 1, 2 ⋯):

linear polyphosphate containing n phosphate residues

pnA:

adenosine 5′-polyphosphate containing n phosphate residues

ADP:

adenosine 5′-diphosphate

ATP:

adenosine 5′-triphosphate

AppA:

P1, P2-diadenosine 5′-diphosphate

gly-pA:

adenylyl-(5′→N)-glycine

ImpA:

adenosine 5′-phosphorimidazolide

NH2-pA:

adenosine 5′-phosphoramidate

en-pA:

adenylyl-(5′→N)-ethylenediamine

hist (NH) - pA:

adenosine 5′-phospho-[2-(4-imidazolyl)-ethylamide]

hist(Im)-pA:

adenosine 5′-phospho-[4-(2-aminoethyl)-imidazolide]

enP1,2 :

phosphoramidates of ethylenediamine derived from H3PO4 and H4P2O7

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Lohrmann, R. Formation of nucleoside 5′-phosphoramidates under potentially prebiological conditions. J Mol Evol 10, 137–154 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01751807

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