The evolutionary transition from RNA to DNA in early cells
Abstract
The evolution of genetic material can be divided into at least three major phases: first, genomes of "nucleic acid-like" molecules; secondly, genomes of RNA; and finally, double-stranded DNA genomes such as those present in all contemporary cells. Using properties of nucleic acid molecules, we attempt to explain the evolutionary transition from RNA alone as a cellular informational macromolecule prior to the evolution of cell systems based on double-stranded DNA. The idea that ribonucleic acid-based cellular genomes preceded DNA is based on the following: (1) protein synthesis can occur in the absence of DNA but not of RNA; (2) RNA molecules have some catalytic properties; (3) the ubiquity of purine and pyridine nucleotide coenzymes as well as other similar ribonucleotide cofactors in metabolic pathways; and (4) the fact that the biosynthesis of deoxyribonucleotides always proceeds via the enzymatic reduction of ribonucleotides. The "RNA prior to DNA" hypothesis can be further developed by understanding the selective pressures that led to the biosynthesis of deoxyribose, thymine, and proofreading DNA polymerases. Taken together these observations suggest to us that DNA was selected as an informational molecule in cells to stabilize earlier RNA-protein replicating systems.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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DNA's greater resistance to UV damage may have driven its replacement of RNA.
“That being stated, subsequent events in life's early history may also themselves be responses to a changing UV flux; for example, the replacement of RNA by DNA may have been driven by DNA's greater resilience to UV damage (Lazcano et al., 1988).”
From Environmental Adaptation from the Origin of Life to the Last Universal Common Ancestor (2018) · cites this paper as Lazcano et al., 1988
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Methyl-RNA: an evolutionary bridge between RNA and DNA?
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On the early evolution of RNA polymerase
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Self-citationEnvironmental Adaptation from the Origin of Life to the Last Universal Common Ancestor
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The origin of modern terrestrial life
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Origin and Evolution of DNA and DNA Replication Machineries
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On the early emergence of reverse transcription: Theoretical basis and experimental evidence
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Self-citationHow Nucleic Acids Cope with High Temperature
Grosjean, H., & Oshima, T. (2014) · ASM Press eBooks · doi:10.1128/9781555815813.ch4 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Three stages in the evolution of the genetic code
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Whence Flavins? Redox-Active Ribonucleotides Link Metabolism and Genome Repair to the RNA World
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Self-citationWhat history tells us XIII. Fifty years of the Central Dogma
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Technological Approaches in the Analysis of Extracellular Vesicle Nucleotide Sequences
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On the origin of life: an RNA-focused synthesis and narrative
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Origin of Informational Polymers
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The Case for an Early Biological Origin of DNA
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Direct Prebiotic Pathway to DNA Nucleosides
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The Nature of the Last Common Ancestor
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Self-citationAn RNA replisome as the ancestor of the ribosome
Campbell, J. H. (1991) · Journal of Molecular Evolution · doi:10.1007/bf02099922 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Cultural inheritance is driving a transition in human evolution
Waring, T. M., & Wood, Z. T. (2025) · BioScience · doi:10.1093/biosci/biaf094 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
The biochemical roots of the RNA world: from zymonucleic acid to ribozymes.
Lazcano, A. (2012) · PubMed · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Self-citationBiological Implications of Organic Compounds in Comets
Marcus, J. N., & Olsen, M. A. A. (1991) · Astrophysics and space science library · doi:10.1007/978-94-011-3378-4_19 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Emergence of life: from functional RNA selection to natural selection and beyond
Tze-Fei Wong, J. (2014) · Frontiers in Bioscience · doi:10.2741/4271 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
5. Prebiotic Chemistry – Biochemistry – Emergence of Life (4.4–2 Ga)
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Self-citationRefining the Genetic Alphabet: A Late-Period Selection Pressure?
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Flexibility of the genetic code with respect to DNA structure
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A deep phylogeny of viral and cellular right-hand polymerases
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Ultraviolet-Driven Deamination of Cytidine Ribonucleotides Under Planetary Conditions
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Introduction and Historical Perspective
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Transition from Protozoa to Metazoa: An Experimental Approach
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A Model of the Origin of Life and Perspectives in Supramolecular Engineering
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The control of the discrimination between dNTP and rNTP in DNA and RNA polymerase
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DNA Structure and the Golden Ratio Revisited
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The RNA World and the origin of life: A short history of a tidy evolutionary narrative
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Cenancestor, the Last Universal Common Ancestor
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Enzyme evolution and the development of metabolic pathways
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Cosmic Evolution, Life and Man
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Prebiotic Chemistry — Biochemistry — Emergence of Life (4.4-2 Ga)
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The origin and early evolution of nucleic acid polymerases
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Selection in molecular evolution
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Arboviruses: Variations on an Ancient Theme
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Universal biology: Noetics, syntropy, chronobiology and destiny: An overview
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The synthesis of artificial genome as the basis of synthetic biology
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- Authors
- Lazcano, A., Guerrero, R., Margulis, L., & Oró, J.
- Affiliations
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional (MX)
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES)
- Boston University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Molecular Evolution
- Published
- 1988-08
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 283-290
- ISSN
- 0022-2844 (ISSN-L)
- 1432-1432
- OpenAlex
- W1999289272
- Cited by
- 119
- References
- 90
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 4.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Molecular Evolution (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst (University of Massachusetts Amherst) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Origins and Evolution of Life
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Keywords
- origin of life, RNA to DNA transition, RNA world, deoxyribonucleotide synthesis, thymine biosynthesis, RNA degradation, nucleotide cofactors, ribonucleotide reduction
- MeSH terms
- DNA, Drug Stability, Biological Evolution, Models, Genetic, RNA, Selection, Genetic
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