Formation of nucleoside 5'-polyphosphates under potentially prebiological conditions.

Aqueous solutions of linear inorganic polyphosphates incubated in presence of Mg ions depolymerize to give trimetaphosphate. The presence of a nucleoside 5'-phosphate has little influence upon the reaction. Drying the products obtained by incubating a linear polyphosphate with Mg ions in the presence of a nucleoside 5'-phosphate yields nucleoside 5'-polyphosphates. The prebiological relevance of the reactions is discussed.