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Updated: Aug 8, 2025

Expression, Solubilization, and Purification of Eukaryotic Borate Transporters
Published on: March 7, 2019
Boron as a Hypothetical Participant in the Prebiological Enantiomeric Enrichment
Ana Franco1, Maria Orquídia Neves2, José A L da Silva1
1Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Departamento de Engenharia Química, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
Abstract:
Boron, as borate (or boric acid), is known as a mediator of the synthesis of ribose, ribonucleosides, and ribonucleotides (precursors of RNA) under plausible prebiotic conditions. With regard to these phenomena, the potential participation of this chemical element (as a constituent of minerals or hydrogels) for the emergence of prebiological homochirality is considered. This hypothesis is based on characteristics of crystalline surfaces as well as solubility of some minerals of boron in water or specific features of hydrogels with ester bonds from reaction of ribonucleosides and borate.
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