Threose nucleic acid
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Threose nucleic acid (TNA) is a polymer similar to DNA or RNA but differing in the composition of its "backbone". TNA is not known to occur in existing life on Earth.
DNA and RNA have a deoxyribose and ribose sugar backbone, respectively, whereas TNA's backbone is composed of repeating threose units linked by phosphodiester bonds. The threose molecule is easier to assemble than ribose making it a possible precursor to RNA.
DNA-TNA hybrid chains have been made in the laboratory using DNA polymerase.
TNA can specifically base pair with RNA and DNA, this capability and chemical simplicity suggests that TNA could have preceded RNA as genetic material.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Was simple TNA the first nucleic acid on Earth to carry a genetic code? - New scientist
- ORIGIN OF LIFE: A Simpler Nucleic Acid - Leslie Orgel
[edit] References
- Watt, Gregory (Feb 2005). "Modified nucleic acids on display". Nature Chemical Biology. doi:.
- Schoning, K; Scholz P; Guntha S; Wu X; Krishnamurthy R; Eschenmoser A (Nov 2000). "Chemical etiology of nucleic acid structure: the alpha-threofuranosyl-(3'->2') oligonucleotide system.". Science. doi:. PMID 11082060.
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