Cyanobacteria produce N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine, a backbone for peptide nucleic acids which may have been the first genetic molecules for life on Earth.
Prior to the evolution of DNA-based organisms on earth over 3.5 billion years ago it is hypothesized that RNA was the primary genetic molecule. Before RNA-based organisms arose, peptide nucleic acids may have been used to transmit genetic information by the earliest forms of life on earth. We discov...
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2012-01-01
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Series: | PLoS ONE |
Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3492184?pdf=render |