Abstract Biopolymers are formed by dehydration-type condensation reactions. In aqueous solutions dehydration reactions are very unlikely to happen spontaneously. However, coupling of dehydration-condensation to the hydrolysis of condensing agents could facilitate the synthesis of biopolymers in an aqueous solution. The literature shows that the peptides, nucleosides, nucleotides and oligonucleotides can be formed in this way. A careful study of the literature pertaining to prebiotic condensing agents was conducted in order to determine the most plausible prebiotic synthesis of biopolymers. The condensing agents taken into consideration are cyanamide, carbodiimide, dicyanamide, dicyandiamide, hydrogec-cyanide-tetramer, cyanogen and the linear- and cyclic polyphosphates. From both a chemical as well as biological point of view the polyphosphates appear to be the most plausible general prebiotic condensing agent.


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    Title :

    Prebiotic condensation reactions in an aqueous medium: A review of condensing agents


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Origins of life ; 7 , 3 ; 197-224


    Publication date :

    1976




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English



    Classification :

    BKL:    44.71 Verkehrsmedizin
    Local classification TIB:    535/3908/4290



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