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Science 22 May 1992:
Vol. 256. no. 5060, pp. 1179 - 1180
DOI: 10.1126/science.256.5060.1179
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Articles

Crossover Reactions Between Synthetic Replicators Yield Active and Inactive Recombinants

Qing Feng 1, Tae Kyo Park 1, and Julius Rebek Jr. 1

1 Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139

Self-replicating molecules can be synthesized through the covalent linkage of two complementary subunits to give a self-complementary structure. Complementarity refers to sizes, shapes, and the weak intermolecular forces involved in molecular recognition between the two subunits. In order to provide a model system for evolution at the molecular These reactions gave rise to new structural types. The ability (or inability) of the new recombinants to catalyze their own formation is shown to be a consequence of their molecular shapes.


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