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A DNA‐Templated Aldol Reaction as a Model for the Formation of Pentose Sugars in the RNA World
Author(s) -
Oberhuber Michael,
Joyce Gerald F.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.200503387
Subject(s) - pentose , glycolaldehyde , ribose , rna , oligonucleotide , aldol reaction , chemistry , biochemistry , dna , gene , catalysis , enzyme , fermentation
Sugar on a stick : A DNA template can bind two complementary oligonucleotides, one derivatized with glyceraldehyde (blue) and the other with glycolaldehyde (red), resulting in a cross‐aldol reaction that forms pentose sugars. This reaction system serves as a model for the RNA‐catalyzed synthesis of ribose, which is relevant to a presumed RNA‐based metabolism during the early history of life on Earth.