42: Amino acids catalyse RNA formation under ambient alkaline conditions

Rout SK et al., Nature Communications - A Nature Communications study shows that proteinogenic amino acids accelerate non-enzymatic RNA oligomerisation from ribonucleoside-2',3'-cyclic phosphates under dry alkaline conditions at ambient temperature, increasing yields, sequence diversity and the fraction of natural 3'-5' linkages. Key terms: RNA polymerisation, amino acids, prebiotic chemistry, 2',3'-cyclic phosphates, acid-base catalysis. Study Highlights:Amino acids catalyse RNA copolymerisation from ribonucleoside-2',3'-cyclic phosphates under dry alkaline conditions, increasing yields by more than 100-fold for some nucleotides. Catalysis peaks near pH 9–10, close to the amine pKa, consistent with an acid–base mechanism in which amine/ammonium pairs facilitate proton transfer during transphosphorylation. Hydrophobic amino acids (Val, Leu, Ile) produced the largest enhancements, reduced the intrinsic G-bias, and increased the fraction of natural 3'-5' linkages and activated 2',3'-cyclic phosphate termini. Molecular dynamics and quantum calculations support preferential amino-acid localisation near phosphate groups to enable the catalytic effect. Conclusion:Amino acids can plausibly have played a direct catalytic role in early Earth chemistry by promoting the formation of diverse, replication-capable RNA pools under mild alkaline drying conditions, linking peptides and RNA earlier in chemical evolution than previously assumed. Music:Enjoy the music based on this article at the end of the episode. Article title:Amino acids catalyse RNA formation under ambient alkaline conditions First author:Rout SK Journal:Nature Communications DOI:10.1038/s41467-025-60359-3 Reference:Rout SK, Wunnava S, Krepl M, Cassone G, Šponer JE, Mast CB, Powner MW & Braun D. Amino acids catalyse RNA formation under ambient alkaline conditions. Nature Communications (2025). doi:10.1038/s41467-025-60359-3 License:This episode is based on an open-access article published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Support:Base by Base – Stripe donations: https://donate.stripe.com/7sY4gz71B2sN3RWac5gEg00 Official website https://basebybase.com On PaperCast Base by Base you'll discover the latest in genomics, functional genomics, structural genomics, and proteomics. Episode link: https://basebybase.com/episodes/amino-acids-catalyse-rna-formation QC:This episode was checked against the original article PDF and publication metadata for the episode release published on 2025-06-11. QC Scope:- article metadata and core scientific claims from the narration- excludes analogies, intro/outro, and music- transcript coverage: Audited the core scientific content: dry-state RNA oligomerisation catalysed by amino acids, acid-base mechanism, pH dependence, base distribution, linkage fidelity, and the broader implications for early biogenesis.- transcript topics: Dry-state RNA oligomerisation with amino acids; Acid-base catalysis and pH dependence around amino acid pKa; Hydrophobic amino acids localising near phosphate center; Nucleobase composition shifts (G/C/A/U) and reduced G-bias; Formation and retention of 3'-5' canonical linkages; Recycling of hydrolysis products to active 2',3'-cyclic phosphates QC Summary:- factual score: 10/10- metadata score: 10/10- supported core claims: 8- claims flagged for review: 0- metadata checks passed: 4- metadata issues found: 0 Metadata Audited:- article_doi- article_title- article_journal- license Factual Items Audited:- Amino acids catalyse RNA oligomerisation under dry-state alkaline conditions, yielding >100-fold increases.- Catalysis shows an opti...