Anastasi Carole, Buchet Fabien F, Crowe Michael A, Parkes Alastair L, Powner Matthew W, Smith James M, Sutherland John D
School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK.
Chem Biodivers. 2007 Apr;4(4):721-39. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.200790060.
Spectacular advances in structural and molecular biology have added support to the 'RNA world' hypothesis, and provide a mandate for chemistry to explain how RNA might have been generated prebiotically on the early earth. Difficulties in achieving a prebiotically plausible synthesis of RNA, however, have led many to ponder the question posed in the title of this paper. Herein, we review recent experimental work on the assembly of potential RNA precursors, focusing on methods for stereoselective C-C bond construction by aldolisation and related processes. This chemistry is presented in the context of a broader picture of the potential constitutional self-assembly of RNA. Finally, the relative accessibility of RNA and alternative nucleic acids is considered.
结构生物学和分子生物学的惊人进展为“RNA世界”假说提供了支持，并为化学解释RNA在早期地球上如何通过益生元方式产生提供了依据。然而，实现RNA的益生元合理合成存在困难，这使得许多人思考本文标题所提出的问题。在此，我们综述了近期关于潜在RNA前体组装的实验工作，重点关注通过羟醛缩合及相关过程进行立体选择性C-C键构建的方法。这种化学过程是在RNA潜在结构自组装的更广泛背景下呈现的。最后，我们考虑了RNA和替代核酸的相对可及性。
