Activated Nucleotide

Synonyms

Nucleoside 5′-monophosphorimidazolide

Definition

An activated nucleotide is a nucleoside 5′-monophosphate possessing a leaving group, such as imidazole, which provides sufficient energy to form higher oligonucleotides. The activation of nucleoside 5′-monophosphates by N-P bond formation between the phosphate group and a base (such as an amino acid or an imidazole) seems to be essential for the abiotic formation of RNA oligomers. In contrast, DNA oligomers are less readily formed from activated deoxynucleotides.

Overview

The synthesis of RNAmolecules may have been an essential step for the emergence of lifelike systems on the primitive Earth. In modern organisms, polymerization of RNA monomers only proceeds because thermodynamics and kinetics allow for biochemical polymerization in organisms. In modern biology, nucleoside 5′-triphosphate monomers are used to form RNA polymers. This is thermodynamically favorable, since nucleoside 5′-triphosphates possess high-energy phosphate...