Fig. 6.

Zn(II) cations bind phosphate groups which polarises the PO linkage to produce a positive dipole on the phosphorus atom. The formation of a ring with a 2′-hydroxyl group leads to cleavage of the phosphodiester linkage. It is postulated that other metal cations (e.g. Mn^2+, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, La³⁺, Ce³⁺ and Lu³⁺) that depolymerize RNA can also bind via similar mechanisms. Copyright (2018) American Chemical Society