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Boron in Prebiological Evolution.

Ana Franco1, José Armando L da Silva1

  • 1Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal.

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|September 30, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Borate, or boric acid, facilitates the prebiotic synthesis of essential molecules like ribose. This discovery supports the RNA world hypothesis for life's origin, highlighting boron's crucial role in early chemistry.

Keywords:
RNAborate ribose esterschiralityphosphorylationprebiotic chemistry

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Area of Science:

  • Astrobiology
  • Prebiotic Chemistry
  • Origin of Life Studies

Background:

  • Boron, in the form of borate or boric acid, plays a key role in mediating the synthesis of fundamental biomolecules.
  • These reactions involve organic compounds found in interstellar space and inorganic ions present in Earth's minerals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent developments in boron-mediated prebiotic chemistry.
  • To assess the significance of borate as a prebiological reagent.
  • To reinforce the RNA world hypothesis for the origin of life.

Main Methods:

  • Review of scientific literature on boron chemistry and prebiotic synthesis.
  • Analysis of reactions involving borate under moderate temperatures (70-95°C).
  • Examination of organic molecules and inorganic ions relevant to early Earth conditions.

Main Results:

  • Borate effectively mediates the synthesis of ribose, ribonucleosides, and ribonucleotides.
  • The reactions occur under plausible early Earth conditions, utilizing interstellar organic molecules and terrestrial inorganic ions.
  • Evidence strongly suggests borate's relevance as a prebiological reagent.

Conclusions:

  • Boron species, particularly borate, were likely essential components in prebiotic chemical pathways.
  • The findings provide robust support for the RNA world hypothesis.
  • Borate's role underscores its importance in understanding the origin of life.