Abstract
Recent views on the origin of the "RNA world" suggest that complexation with borate minerals had an indispensable role at stabilizing the cyclic form of aldopentoses that are the potential building blocks of RNA. Experimental investigations by Li Q, Ricardo A, Benner SA, Winefordner JD, Powell DH (2005) Anal Chem 77:4503-4508 and Chapelle S, Verchere J-F (1988) Tetrahedron 44:4469-4482 have shown that stability of the 2:1 complexes formed between ribose and borate is superior to those of the analogous compounds of the other three aldopentoses (xylose, arabinose and lyxose). The distinct stability of the ribose-borate 2:1 complexes is thought to be one of the basic reasons why evolution selected ribose (out of the four aldopentoses) to build up RNA molecules. Here we disclose the factors governing the stability of the aldopentose-borate 2:1 complexes using Density Functional Theory electronic structure calculations with inclusion of solvation effects using a continuum solvent approach. Our results show that the strong electrostatic field of the borate anion leads to the reorientation of the hydroxyl groups of the aldopentoses relative to the geometry adopted in the non-complexed form. The reasons why complex formation between borate and ribose is clearly preferred over the other three aldopentoses is (i) the ribose 3-OH is involved in a H-bond with one of the borate-oxygens and (ii) its 5-CH2OH group is well separated in space from the negatively charged region of the complex and ensures favorable contact with the aqueous medium.
