2004 Volume 32 Issue 3 Pages 155-168
In the RNA world hypothesis of origin of life it is proposed that RNA could play the roles of information carrier and catalyst in an early life on primitive earth. RNA had to be formed during chemical evolution to realize the RNA world. In this article, I review approaches to the laboratory demonstration of prebiotic synthesis of RNA. Metal ion catalyst such as lead, zinc or uranyl ion works as a catalyst for polymerization of imizazole-activated mononucleotides in neutral aqueous solution or under eutechtic condition forming RNAs containing dimer to octadecamer. Montmorillonite clay also catlyzes the formation of RNA from the activated nucleotides forming the corresponding RNA with chain length from two to fourteen. Successive addition of the activated nucleotide to the montmorillonite catalyst resulted in chain-elongation of RNA as long as 50mer. The problem of the simulated model reactions of prebiotic synthesis of RNA will be also described.
