From formamide to RNA, the path is tenuous but continuous
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Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Measurement of mRNA Decay Rates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Using rpb1-1 Strains
Published on: December 13, 2014
Samanta Pino1, Judit E Sponer2,3, Giovanna Costanzo4
1Fondazione "Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti" c/o Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", "Sapienza" Università di Roma, P.le Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy. samantapino78@libero.it.
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.
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