Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Prebiotic Synthesis of Oligonucleotides

  • Chapter
Cosmochemical Evolution and the Origins of Life

Abstract

This paper is primarily a review of recent developments in the abiotic synthesis of nucleotides, short chain oligonucleotides, and their mode of replication in solution. It also presents preliminary results from this laboratory on the prebiotic synthesis of thymidine oligodeoxynucleotides. A discussion, based on the physicochemical properties of RNA and DNA oligomers, relevant to the molecular evolution of these compounds leads to the tentative hypothesis that oligodeoxyribonucleotides of about 12 units may have been of sufficient length to initiate a self replicating coding system. Two models are suggested to account for the synthesis of high molecular weight oligomers using short chain templates and primers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bernfield, M. R.: 1966, J. Biol. Chem. 241, 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernfield, M. R. and Rottman, F. M.: 1967, J. Biol. Chem. 242, 4134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, M. J., Lohrmann, R., and Orgel, L. E.: 1972, Nature 237, 162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brewin, N.: 1972, Nature 236, 101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlin, M. J. and Berg, P.: 1962, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (U.S.) 48, 81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, H. J.: 1958, Ground Temperature I, Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory, Harvard University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramer, F.: 1966, Angew. Chem. Internat. Edit. Eng. 5, 173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eck, R. V. and Dayhoff, M. O.: 1966, Science 152, 363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, W. and Dressler, D.: 1968, Cold Spring Symp. Quant. Biol. 33, 473.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gottich, B. P. and Slutsky, O. I.: 1964, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 87, 163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray, H. B., Jr.: 1973, Private Communication.

    Google Scholar 

  • Handschuh, G. J. and Orgel, L. E.: 1973, Science 179, 483.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, F. N. and Hansbury, E.: 1964, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 86, 4172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoogstein, K.: 1963, Acta. Cryst. 16, 907.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ibanez, J. D., Kimball, A. P., and Oró, J.: 1971a, J. Mol. Evol. 1, 112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ibanez, J. D., Kimball, A. P. and Oró, J.: 1971b, Science 173, 444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacob, T. M. and Khorana, H. G.: 1964, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 86, 1630.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kondo, N. S., Fang, K. N., Miller, P. S., and Ts’o, P. O. P.: 1972, Biochemistry 11, 1991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kondo, N. S., Holmes, H. M, Stempel, L. M., and Ts’o, P. O. P.: 1970, Biochemistry 9, 3479.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kornberg, A., Bertsch, L. L., Jackson, J. F., and Khorana, H. G.: 1964, Biochemistry 51, 315.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lohrmann, R.: 1972, J. Mol. Evol. 1, 263.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lohrmann, R. and Orgel, L. E.: 1971, Science 171, 490.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathews, F. S. and Rich, A.: 1964, J. Mol. Biol. 8, 89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miles, H. T., Howard, F. B., and Frazier, J.: 1966, Federation Proc. 25, 1853 (abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Moon, M. W. and Khorana, H. G.: 1966, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 88, 1798.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moravek, J., Kopecky, J., and Skoda, J.: 1968a, Collection Czech. Chem. Commun. 33, 960.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moravek, J., Kopecky, J., and Skoda, J.: 1968b, Collection Czech. Chem. Commun. 33, 4407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moravek, J., Kopecky, J., and Skoda, J.: 1968c, Collection Czech. Chem. Commun. 33, 4120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagyvary, J. and Nagpal, K. L.: 1972, Science 177, 272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neuman, M. W., Neuman, W. F., and Lane, K.: 1970a, Curr. Mod. Biol. 3, 253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neuman, M. W., Neuman, W. F., and Lane, K.: 1970b, Curr. Mod. Biol. 3, 277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Niyogi, S. K. and Thomas, C. A.: 1967, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 26, 51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nooner, D. W. and Oró, J.: 1973, J. Mol. Evol. (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien, E. J.: 1963, J. Mol. Biol. 7, 107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odom, D. G., Ibanez, J. D., Stephen-Sherwood, E., and Oró, J.: 1973, Private Communication.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olivera, B. M., Scheffler, I. E., and Lehman, I. R.: 1968, J. Mol. Biol. 36, 275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orgel, L. E.: 1968, J. Mol Biol. 38, 381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orgel, L. E. and Sulston, J. E.: 1971, in A. P. Kimball and J. Oró (eds.), Prebiotic and Biochemical Evolution, North Holland Publ. Co., Amsterdam, p. 89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oró, J. and Kamat, S.: 1961, Nature 190, 442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osterberg, R. and Orgel, L. E.: 1972, J. Mol. Evol. 1, 241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osterberg, R., Orgel, L. E., and Lohrmann, R.: 1973, J. Mol. Evol. 2, 231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pongs, O. and Ts’o, P. O. P.: 1969, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 36, 475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pongs, O. and Ts’o, P. O. P.: 1971, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 93, 5241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renz, M., Lohrmann, R., and Orgel, L. E.: 1971, Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 240, 463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards, E. G., Flessel, C. P., and Fresco, J. R.: 1963, Biopolymers 1, 431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ring, D., Wolman, Y., Friedman, N., and Miller, S. L.: 1972, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (U.S.) 69, 765.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruger, W. and Bautz, E. K. F.: 1968, J. Mol. Biol. 31, 83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salvo, R., Evans, J. E., and Kimball, A. P.: 1973, in preparation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider-Bernloehr, H., Lohrmann, R., Orgel, L. E., Sulston, J., and Weimann, B. J.: 1968a, Science 162, 809.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider-Bernloehr, H., Lohrmann, R., Sulston, J., Weimann, B. J., Orgel, L. E., and Miles, H. T.: 1968b, J. Mol. Biol. 37, 151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider-Bernloehr, H., Lohrmann, R., Sulston, J., Orgel, L. E., and Miles, H. T.: 1970, J. Mol. Biol. 47, 257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, A. W.: 1972, Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 281, 477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schramm, G., Grotsch, H., and Polmann, W.: 1962, Angew. Chem. 74, 53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shabarova, Z. A. and Prokofiev, M. A.: 1970, Febs. Letters 11, 237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shoup, R. R., Miles, H. T., and Beeker, E. D.: 1966, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 23, 194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simpkins, H. and Richards, E. G.: 1967, Biopolymers 5, 551.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, M. and Khorana, H. G.: 1958, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 80, 1141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stephen-Sherwood, E. and Oró, J.: 1973, Space Life Sci. 4, 5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephen-Sherwood, E., Odom, D., and Oró, J.: 1973, in Proceedings of 4th International Conference on the Origin of Life, Barcelona, submitted.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sulston, J., Lohrmann, R., Orgel, L. E., and Miles, H. T.: 1968a, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (U.S.) 59, 726.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sulston, J., Lohrmann, R., Orgel, L. E., and Miles, H. T.: 1968b, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (U.S.) 60, 409.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tapiero, C. M. and Nagyvary, J.: 1971, Nature 231, 42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tazawa, I., Tazawa, S., Stempel, L. M., and Ts’o, P. O. P.: 1970, Biochemistry 9, 3499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tazawa, S., Tazawa, I., Alderfer, J. M., and Ts’o, P. O. P.: 1972, Biochemistry 11, 3544.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tener, G. M., Khorana, H. G., Markham, R., and Pol, E. H.: 1958, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 80, 6223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uhlenbeck, O. C., Borer, P. N., Dengler, B., and Tinoco, I.: 1973, J. Mol. Biol. 73, 483.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Usher, D. A.: 1972, Nature New Biol. 235, 207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, P. M. B.: 1969, in J. N. Davidson and W. E. Kohn (eds.), Progress in Nucleic Acid Research and Molecular Biology 9, Academic Press, New York and London, p. 301.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warshaw, M. M. and Tinoco, L, Jr.: 1966, J. Mol. Biol. 20, 29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weimann, B. J., Lohrmann, R., Orgel, L. E., Schneider-Bernloehr, H., and Sulston, J. E.: 1968, Science 161, 387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weimann, G. and Khorana, H. G.: 1962, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 84, 4329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wells, R. D., Büchi, H., Kössel, H., Ohtsuka, E., and Khorana, H. G.: 1967a, J. Mol. Biol. 27, 265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wells, R. D., Jacob, T. M., Narang, S. A., and Khorana, H. G.: 1967b, J. Mol. Biol. 27, 237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woese, C. R.: 1972, Brookhaven Symposia in Biology, Vol. 23, p. 326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, J. T. and Samejima, T.: 1969, in J. N. Davidson and W. E. Cohn (eds.), Progress in Nucleic Acid Research and Molecular Biology 9, Academic Press, New York and London, p. 223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yčas, M.: 1972, J. Mol. Evol. 2, 17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Depts. of Biophysical Sciences and Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Tex., 77004, USA

    J. Oró & E. Stephen-Sherwood

Authors
  1. J. Oró
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. Stephen-Sherwood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Biophysical Sciences and Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA

    J. Oró

  2. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    J. Oró

  3. Department of Chemistry, University of California, San Diego, California, USA

    S. L. Miller

  4. Laboratory of Chemical Evolution, Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA

    C. Ponnamperuma

  5. NASA, Washington, D.C., USA

    R. S. Young (Head of Planetary Biology) (Head of Planetary Biology)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1974 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Oró, J., Stephen-Sherwood, E. (1974). The Prebiotic Synthesis of Oligonucleotides. In: Oró, J., Miller, S.L., Ponnamperuma, C., Young, R.S. (eds) Cosmochemical Evolution and the Origins of Life. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-1118-6_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-1118-6_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-015-1120-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-1118-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation