Cited by 730Origins and Evolution of LifeRNA and protein synthesis mechanismsDNA and Nucleic Acid Chemistry

Synthetic genetic polymers capable of heredity and evolution

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Pinheiro, Vitor B., Taylor, Alexander I., Cozens, Christopher, Abramov, Mikhail, Renders, Marleen, Zhang, Su, Chaput, John C., Wengel, Jesper +4 more·2012·Science

Abstract

Unnatural Bases: The genetic basis of all life on the planet is comprised of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) with four nitrogenous nucleotide bases, abbreviated to A, G, C, and T. But there are variations on this theme, and Pinheiro et al. (p. 341 ; see the Perspective by Joyce ) describe the directed evolution of unnatural nucleic acid–like genetic polymers. Variant enzymes were developed that efficiently transcribed DNA to anhydrohexitol (HNA), cyclohexenyl (CeNA), locked (LNA), and threofuranosyl (TNA) nuceic acid analogs. Further variant enzymes were developed to reverse-transcribe these analogs back to DNA. Thus, man-made nucleic acid analogs can be designed and selected that have the potential to operate in a way analogous to the natural process of heredity and evolution.

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  • Several alternative backbones have been subjected to in vitro evolution, resulting in functional nucleic acids.

    “several alternative backbones have been subjected to in vitro evolution, resulting in functional nucleic acids [41,45].”

    From The RNA world as a model system to study the origin of life (2015) · cites this paper as [45]

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Authors
Pinheiro, V. B., Taylor, A. I., Cozens, C., Abramov, M., Renders, M., Zhang, S., Chaput, J. C., Wengel, J., Peak-Chew, S.-Y., McLaughlin, S. H., Herdewijn, P., & Holliger, P.
Affiliations
  • MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (GB)
  • KU Leuven (BE)
  • Arizona State University (US)
  • University of Southern Denmark (DK)
  • Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
Corresponding author
Holliger, Philipp
Venue
Science
Published
2012-04-20
Volume
336
Issue
6079
Pages
341-344
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W2045974535
Cited by
730
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 46 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 50 · 2022: 45 · 2021: 49 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 80 · 2018: 50 · 2017: 53 · 2016: 48 · 2015: 55 · 2014: 46 · 2013: 59 · 2012: 35
FWCI
34.10
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • University of Southern Denmark Research Portal (University of Southern Denmark) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • BIROn (Birkbeck, University of London) (submittedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Lirias (KU Leuven) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/I004793/1)
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 › Molecular Biology › DNA and Nucleic Acid Chemistry
Keywords
XNA, genetic information storage, heredity (biology), Darwinian evolution, nucleic acid folding, origin of life, information storage
MeSH terms
DNA, DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase, Nucleic Acids, Polymers, RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase, RNA, Templates, Genetic, Transcription, Genetic, Molecular Mimicry, Directed Molecular Evolution, Evolution, Molecular, Reverse Transcription, Aptamers, Nucleotide

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