Nonenzymatic polymerase-like template-directed synthesis of acyclic L-threoninol nucleic acid

Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 5;12(1):804. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21128-0.

Abstract

Evolution of xeno nucleic acid (XNA) world essentially requires template-directed synthesis of XNA polymers. In this study, we demonstrate template-directed synthesis of an acyclic XNA, acyclic L-threoninol nucleic acid (L-aTNA), via chemical ligation mediated by N-cyanoimidazole. The ligation of an L-aTNA fragment on an L-aTNA template is significantly faster and occurs in considerably higher yield than DNA ligation. Both L-aTNA ligation on a DNA template and DNA ligation on an L-aTNA template are also observed. High efficiency ligation of trimer L-aTNA fragments to a template-bound primer is achieved. Furthermore, a pseudo primer extension reaction is demonstrated using a pool of random L-aTNA trimers as substrates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of polymerase-like primer extension of XNA with all four nucleobases, generating phosphodiester bonding without any special modification. This technique paves the way for a genetic system of the L-aTNA world.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Alcohols / chemistry
  • Amino Alcohols / metabolism*
  • Base Pairing
  • Biocatalysis
  • Butylene Glycols / chemistry
  • Butylene Glycols / metabolism*
  • Cations, Divalent
  • DNA / chemistry
  • DNA / genetics*
  • DNA / metabolism
  • DNA Primers / chemistry
  • DNA Primers / metabolism
  • Imidazoles / chemistry*
  • Manganese / chemistry
  • Manganese / metabolism
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Nucleic Acids / chemical synthesis*
  • RNA / chemistry
  • RNA / genetics*
  • RNA / metabolism
  • Solutions

Substances

  • Amino Alcohols
  • Butylene Glycols
  • Cations, Divalent
  • DNA Primers
  • Imidazoles
  • Nucleic Acids
  • Solutions
  • threoninol
  • Manganese
  • RNA
  • DNA
  • N-cyanoimidazole