Summary
Imidazolides of dinucleotides such as ImpApA can be formed from the corresponding dinucleotides in a two-stage process, which gives up to 15% yields under potentially prebiotic conditions. First a solution of the dinucleotide and sodium trimetaphosphate is dried out at constant temperature and humidity. This produces polyphosphates such as pnApA in excellent yield (⩾80%). The products are dissolved in water, imidazole is added, and the solution is dried out again. This yields the 5′-phosphorimidazolides.
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Abbreviations
- P3!:
-
trimetaphosphate
- A:
-
adenosine
- U:
-
uridine
- EDTA:
-
ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
- Ap:
-
adenosine 2′(3′)-phosphate
- Ap!:
-
adenosine cyclic 2′:3′-phosphate
- pA:
-
adenosine 5′-phosphate
- pA2p:
-
adenosine 2′, 5′-diphosphate
- pA3p:
-
adenosine 3′, 5′-diphosphate
- pAp!:
-
5′-phospho-adenosine cyclic 2′:3′-phosphate
- ATP:
-
adenosine 5′-triphosphate
- ImpA:
-
adenosine 5′-phosphorimidazolide
- A2pA:
-
adenylyl-[2′→5′]-adenosine
- A3pA:
-
adenylyl-[3′→5′]-adenosine
- A2pU:
-
adenylyl-[2′→5′]-uridine
- A3pU:
-
adenylyl-[3′→5′]-uridine
- pA2pA:
-
5′-phosphoadenylyl-[2′→5′]-adenosine
- pA3pA:
-
5′-phospho-adenylyl-[3′→5′]-adenosine
- pA2pU:
-
5′-phospho-adenylyl-[2′→5′]-uridine
- pA3pU:
-
5′-phospho-adenylyl-[3′→5′]-uridine
- pApN (N= A, U):
-
5′-phosphate of a dinucleoside phosphate
- pnApN (N = A, U; n = 2, 3, 4⋯.):
-
5′-polyphosphate of a dinucleoside phosphate
- ImpA2pA:
-
imidazolide of pA2pA
- ImpA3pA:
-
imidazolide of pA3pA
- ImpA2pU:
-
imidazolide of pA2pU
- ImpA3pU:
-
imidazolide of pA3pU
- ImpApN:
-
imidazolide of pApN
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Sleeper, H.L., Lohrmann, R. & Orgel, L.E. Formation of the imidazolides of dinucleotides under potentially prebiotic conditions. J Mol Evol 11, 87–93 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01733884
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01733884