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RNA Hydrolysis at Mineral-Water Interfaces
Ke Zhang1, Kun-Pu Ho1, Anamika Chatterjee1
1Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States.
Environmental Science & Technology
|May 22, 2023
Summary
A new abiotic pathway shows RNA rapidly degrades within hours when adsorbed to iron minerals like goethite. This mineral-catalyzed hydrolysis, unlike enzymatic breakdown, occurs at neutral pH and impacts environmental RNA persistence.
Area of Science:
- Environmental chemistry
- Biogeochemistry
- Mineralogy
Background:
- Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a vital biomolecule in environmental systems, crucial for biogeochemical cycles and technology.
- RNA persistence is typically limited by rapid enzymatic or microbial degradation, faster than known abiotic processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To uncover and characterize a novel abiotic hydrolysis pathway for RNA.
- To investigate the role of mineral adsorption in RNA degradation.
Main Methods:
- Adsorption of RNA to iron (oxyhydr)oxide minerals (goethite, hematite) and aluminum minerals (montmorillonite).
- Analysis of RNA hydrolysis products and kinetics at varying pH.
- Comparison with acid- and base-catalyzed hydrolysis in solution.
Main Results:
- RNA rapidly hydrolyzes within hours upon adsorption to goethite (α-FeOOH) and hematite (α-Fe2O3).
- Iron in the minerals acts as a Lewis acid, catalyzing sequence-independent phosphodiester bond hydrolysis.
- Optimal hydrolysis occurred at circumneutral pH due to combined RNA adsorption and hydroxide availability.
- Aluminum minerals did not catalyze RNA hydrolysis.
Conclusions:
- Mineral-catalyzed RNA hydrolysis is a previously unrecognized abiotic pathway.
- This process is significant in iron-rich soils and sediments, affecting RNA persistence.
- Findings necessitate re-evaluation of RNA stability in environmental nucleic acid analyses.
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