美国纽约州立大学布法罗分校的研究团队发现，RNA和DNA之间一个极其微小的化学差异可能对早期生命的形成至关重要。1这两种分子仅相差每个糖分子中一个氧原子。1具体而言，RNA含有2'-羟基（2'-OH）这一关键化学基团，而DNA则不含有，1正是这个单一的含氧化学结构使RNA能够更强地与镁离子相互作用。1
由Priya R. Banerjee领导、与普林斯顿大学Jerelle Joseph合作的研究表明，1RNA在比DNA低约10摄氏度的温度下开始形成液滴。1这种温度差异使RNA更容易在温度升高时凝聚成液体状态，进而转变为凝胶状结构，1为细胞出现前可能提供了保护性条件。研究人员通过将2'-OH化学修饰为2'-OMe，成功显著减少了RNA的凝聚倾向，1进一步验证了这一羟基在凝聚过程中的作用。该研究已于2026年10月1日在《Nature Communications》上发表，1并得到了美国国立卫生研究院、国家科学基金会和Hypothesis Fund的支持。1
Researchers at the University at Buffalo in New York have identified a single chemical distinction between RNA and DNA that could illuminate the origins of life on Earth.1 The key difference lies in a 2'-hydroxyl group (2'-OH) present in RNA but absent in DNA—a difference of just one oxygen atom per sugar molecule in the genetic backbone.1 This seemingly minor variation has profound implications for how RNA molecules behave under the conditions believed to have existed before cells emerged.
According to the study, published in Nature Communications on October 1, 2026, the 2'-hydroxyl group enables RNA to interact more strongly with magnesium ions, allowing it to aggregate into protective liquid droplets and gel-like structures at temperatures approximately 10 degrees Celsius lower than DNA requires for similar behavior.1 The research team, led by Priya R. Banerjee at the University at Buffalo in collaboration with Jerelle Joseph at Princeton University, demonstrated this principle by chemically modifying the 2'-OH group to 2'-OMe, which significantly reduced RNA's propensity to condense.1 These findings suggest that RNA's unique chemical properties may have facilitated the formation of compartmentalized environments essential for early biochemical processes, offering a potential explanation for how organized molecular systems could have emerged before the advent of cellular life.1 The work received support from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Hypothesis Fund.1
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