Chiral selection in poly(C)-directed synthesis of oligo(G)

An experimental study is reported which shows that poly(C)-directed oligomerization of activated guanosine mononucleotides proceeds readily if the monomers are of the same optical handedness as the template, and is far less efficient if the monomers are of the opposite handedness. However, in template-directed reactions with a racemic mixture, monomers of the opposite handedness to the template are incorporated as chain terminators at the 2'(3') end of the products. This inhibition raises an important problem for many theories of the origin of life.