Scientists have come up with a new version of the origin of life

Disclosed new details of the appearance of life on Earth

A group of scientists from University College London have uncovered the mechanism by which any individual elements of RNA, the ribonucleotides.

This process was necessary for the occurrence of the first in the RNA world, which is the predecessor of life on Earth.

Nucleotides are molecules, which are divided into two classes: purines and pyrimidines. Previously it was thought that these groups could not be formed together, because the conditions of their synthesis are incompatible. However, the results of the new work has shown that molecules of 8-oxo-adenosine, 8-oxo-inosine, which are purine, can be formed in the same environment, and pyrimidines. These compounds probably played an important role in the emergence of the first nucleic chains before the advent of the “canonical” nucleotides containing a nitrogenous base A, U, G or C.

In the future, the researchers plan to investigate whether a chain of 8-oxo-purines encode the protein sequence that will confirm their possible involvement in the formation of RNA world.

RNA world is one of the hypothetical phases of the origin of life, when the storage of genetic information and the enzymatic activity was carried out by ensembles of ribonucleic acids. Later, on the basis of RNA world there were proteins and DNA and RNA began to perform the mediation function.

paradox