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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Self-Assembly of Gamma-Modified Peptide Nucleic Acids into Complex Nanostructures in Organic Solvent Mixtures
Published on: June 26, 2020
Question 1: Peptide nucleic acids and the origin and homochirality of life
1Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, The Panum Institute, Blegdamsvej 3c, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark. pen@imbg.ku.dk
Abstract:
The possibilities of pseudo peptide DNA mimics like PNA (peptide nucleic acid) having a role for the prebiotic origin of life prior to an RNA world is discussed. In particular a scenario is proposed in which protocells with an achiral genetic material through several generations stepwise is converted into a chiral genetic material, e.g., by incorporation of RNA units. Provided that a sufficiently large sequence space is occupied, a selection process based on catalytic function in which a single cell (first common ancestor) has a definite evolutionary advantage, selection of this cell would by contingency also lock it into homochirality.
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