From Formamide to RNA, the Path Is Tenuous but Continuous
Samanta Pino ; Judit E. Sponer ; Giovanna Costanzo ; et al. ; - ASI Sponsor
Jan - 2015
DOI: 10.3390/life5010372

journal : Life
type: Article Journal

Abstract
Reactions of formamide (NH2COH) in the presence of catalysts of both terrestrial and meteoritic origin yield, in plausible and variegated conditions, a large panel of precursors of (pre)genetic and (pre)metabolic interest. Formamide chemistry potentially satisfies all of the steps from the very initial precursors to RNA. Water chemistry enters the scene in RNA non-enzymatic synthesis and recombination.

keywords : formamide, nucleic bases, uridine, RNA; RNA polymerization, RNA origin, ribozymes, origin of life