Mechanistic possibilities in prebiotic thiophosphate chemistry

The two types of thiophosphate reactivities were studied in a system that involves reactions of 5'-substituted adenosine derivatives. In this system, both nucleophilic displacement on carbon and P-S cleavage are possible. The products and possible mechanisms of cyclization experiments involving different leaving groups are reported. The data indicate superior reactivity of the 3'-OH of the ribonucleoside, although in most other systems the 2'-OH is found to show superior reactivity. It is suggested that thiophosphates might play a role in prebiotic activation and phosphorylation reactions.