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Simultaneous origin of homochirality, the genetic code and its directionality
Author(s) -
RootBernstein Robert
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.20602
Subject(s) - homochirality , genetic code , directionality , amino acid , nucleotide , polynucleotide , chirality (physics) , abiogenesis , nucleobase , molecule , biology , stereochemistry , chemistry , genetics , physics , dna , chiral symmetry , gene , organic chemistry , nambu–jona lasinio model , quantum mechanics , quark
The origin of homochirality in molecules characterizing living systems has remained a mystery since Pasteur's recognition of the problem some 150 years ago.2–5 Most theories also assume that homochirality emerged in one class of molecules (e.g. ribose) from which it was enriched in other molecules (e.g. amino acids) as well.2–5 I propose a novel, experimentally testable hypothesis describing a process by which selective chirality in amino acids and ribonucleotides emerged simultaneously and hand‐in‐hand with the origin and directionality of the genetic code within a system of interactions involving amino acids, peptides, nucleotide bases, their sugars and polynucleotides. BioEssays 29:689–698, 2007. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.