Diamidophosphate
Diamidophosphate (DAP) is the simplest phosphorodiamidate ion, with formula PO(NH). It is a phosphorylating ion and was first used for phosphorylation of sugars in aqueous medium. DAP has attracted interest in the area of primordial chemistry. Salts. Several salts of the formula MPO(NH)(HO) are known. Reactions. Heating anhydrous sodium diamidophosphate causes polmerization: Heating hydrated salts induces loss of ammonia to form oligophosphates and polyphosphates. Diamidophosphate inhibits urease enzymes by blocking up the active site, binding to two nickel centers. Diamidophosphate mimics the urea hydrolysis intermediate. Diamidophosphate is tribasic, and the amine groups may also lose hydrogen to form more  metallic salts. With silver, further reactions can yield explosive salts: tetrasilver orthodiamidophosphate (AgO)P(NH)NHAg, and pentasilver orthodiamidophosphate (AgO)P(NHAg). Organic esters and amides. Numerous organic derivatives are known. One example is phenyl phosphorodiamidate. Reactions with nucleosides. DAP phosphorylates deoxynucleosides (the building blocks of DNA, and at the same time initiates polymerization to make DNA. DAP facilitates the synthesis of larger RNA sequences (ribozymes) from smaller RNA strands. Other nitrogenous derivatives of phosphorus derivatives have also been proposed in this context in a review article.