Separation and determination of the antitumor drug piritrexim by molecularly imprinted microspheres in high-performance liquid chromatography

Molecularly imprinted microspheres were synthesised using the antitumor drug piritrexim (PTX) as a template molecule by aqueous microsuspension polymerisation and were used as a high-performance liquid chromatographic stationary phase. The molecularly imprinted column exhibited strong retention behaviour to the template molecule. The influences of pH of the buffer and the ratio of methanol to buffer on the retention behaviour were investigated in detail. Results indicated that the baseline separation of PTX, trimetrexate (TMX), trimethoprim (TMP) and sulfamethazine (SMZ) was achieved when the pH value of the acetate buffer was above pH 3.5 and the ratio of methanol to the buffer was 6:4 (v/v). A gradient elution programme was employed to enhance the separation, which led to an improvement in sensitivity and a reduction in determination errors. The method developed was used to analyse urine samples supplemented with PTX. The recoveries of 5 microg mL(-1) PTX in the urine sample were 99.1+/-3.0% and 93.3+/-2.8% at the beginning and 24 h later, respectively.

Rigidins B-D, new pyrrolopyrimidine alkaloids from a tunicate Cystodytes species

Three new pyrrolopyrimidine alkaloids, rigidins B-D (1-3), have been isolated from an Okinawan marine tunicate Cystodytes sp., and the structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data.

Characterization of 2-methyl-4-amino-5-(2-methyl-3-furylthiomethyl)pyrimidine from thermal degradation of thiamin

Thiamin hydrochloride was thermally degraded in phosphate buffer (pH 6.5) at 110 degrees C for 2 h. A major decomposition product was isolated by column chromatography and structurally identified by spectrometric techniques ((1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, 2D NMR, and MS) as 2-methyl-4-amino-5-(2-methyl-3-furylthiomethyl)pyrimidine (MAMP). The possible formation pathway of MAMP was studied using two model systems. It is proposed that MAMP is formed by nucleophilic attack of 2-methyl-3-furanthiol on the thiamin.

Further insight in the photochemistry of DNA: structure of a 2-imidazolone (5-4) pyrimidone adduct derived from the mutagenic pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photolesion by UV irradiation

Pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts represent one of the major mutagenic and carcinogenic class of DNA damage produced by UV exposure. At present, besides their conversion to their Dewar valence isomer, (6-4) photoproducts are generally believed to be photostable, and the observed biological properties of Paterno-Büchi-derived photoproducts are, thus far, exclusively attributed to these two types of compounds. Using a model system (2) relevant to DNA photochemistry, we have observed that the 5'-base moiety of the (6-4) thymine dimer 3, under far-UV radiation, is able to undergo a ring contraction leading to a 2-oxoimidazoline, 1. This unprecedented secondary photochemical reaction constitutes the first report of a major photomodification affecting (6-4) photoproducts and strongly questions the biological stability of the (6-4) adducts under UV light with 2-imidazolone (5-4) pyrimidone adducts being possibly another source of endogenous DNA damage.

Application of capillary zone electrophoresis with off-line solid-phase extraction to in vitro metabolism studies of antifungals

A simple and robust solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure for the cleanup and sample preconcentration of antifungals (ketoconazole, clotrimazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, and voriconazole) and their metabolites after incubation with human liver microsomes, as well as a simplified capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method for their rapid analysis, have been developed to determine the stability of these compounds in in vitro samples. Three different sample pretreatment procedures using SPE with reversed-phase sorbents (100 mg C8, 100 mg C18, and 30 mg Oasis-HLB) were studied. The highest and most reproducible recoveries were obtained using a 30 mg Oasis-HLB sorbent and methanol containing 2% acetic acid as eluent. Enrichment by a factor of about four times was achieved by reconstituting the final SPE eluates to a small volume. For the CZE separation, good separations without interfering peaks due to the in vitro matrix were obtained with a simple running electrolyte using a fused-silica capillary. The best separation for all components originated by each tested drug after incubation with human liver microsomes (unmetabolized parent drug and its metabolites) was obtained using a 0.05 M phosphate running buffer (pH 2.2) without additives. The effect of the injection volume was also investigated in order to obtain the best sensitivity. Performance levels in terms of precision, linearity, limits of detection, and robustness were determined.

Application of mixed partition-adsorption systems in high-performance liquid chromatography of purines and pyrimidines

Separation of the test mixtures of some purine and pyrimidine derivatives on silicas (types A and B) in adsorption normal-phase (A-NP) and mixed partition-adsorption normal-phase (MPA-NP) mode has been studied. When the A-NP mode is used the peak shapes are unsatisfactory (especially on type A silica). At the same time MPA-NP systems show a good peak symmetry on all silica types. The findings have demonstrated that the MPA-NP mode offers a specific selectivity. This allows MPA-NP systems to supersede reversed-phase systems in some application areas.

Capillary-electrochromatographic separations with copolymeric reversed-stationary phase and ion-exchanger-packed columns

A macroporous, spherical, 7 microm, polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB), reversed-phase adsorbent (PRP-1) was evaluated as a stationary phase for the capillary electrochromatographic (CEC) separation of neutral, acidic, and basic analytes of pharmaceutical interest. Electroosmotic flow (EOF) for a PRP-1 packed capillary is nearly constant over the pH 2 to 10 range and is higher than for a silica-based C18 packed capillary on the acidic side. EOF increases with an increase in buffer acetonitrile concentration or as applied potential increases. As analyte hydrophobicity increases, analyte retention and migration time increases. Increasing buffer acetonitrile concentration reduces analyte partitioning with the PS-DVB stationary phase and analyte retention and migration time decreases. When exchange sites are present on the PS-DVB copolymer, EOF (EOF is reversed for the anion-exchanger) increases as the exchange capacity increases. An increased exchange capacity also reduces partitioning of the analyte with the PS-DVB matrix and analyte retention and migration time decrease. Because of excellent stability in an acid environment, the PRP-1 packed capillary can be used in strong acid buffer solution and weak acid and base analytes depending on pKa values can be separated as neutral species and cations, respectively. CEC separations on a PRP-1 capillary of neutral steroids, weak base pharmaceuticals (separation as cations), purines and pyrimidines (as cations), fatty acids (as undissociated species), and sulfa derivatives (as cations) are described. Efficiency for the PRP-1 packed capillary for acetone or thiourea as the analyte is about 6 x 10(4) plates m(-1).

Normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic separations using ethoxynonafluorobutane as hexane alternative. I. Analytical and chiral applications

A novel, environmentally friendly, fluorinated solvent--ethoxynonafluorobutane--has been used to replace n-hexane in normal-phase HPLC applications. Fast gradients of methanol in ethoxynonafluorobutane on a cyano column have been successfully applied to the separation of steroids, benzodiazepines, NSAIDs, tricyclic antidepressants, beta-adrenergic blocking agents and mixtures of purines and pyrimidines. Small amounts of triethylamine and trifluoroacetic acid added to such gradients significantly improved peak shape and column performance for basic and acidic solutes. Ethoxynonafluorobutane and its mixtures with methanol have also been demonstrated to have a unique selectivity in chiral HPLC applications.

Fast separation of pyrimidine derivatives by capillary electrochromatography on ion-exchange/reversed-phase mixed-mode stationary phases

This work describes the use of mixed-mode stationary phases which exhibit both strong ion-exchange (either cation-exchange, SCX, or anion-exchange, SAX) and reversed-phase chromatographic characteristics in capillary electrochromatographic separations of pyrimidine derivatives. Different packing materials, namely C6, SCX/C6 and SAX/C6, were compared and the influence of the composition of the carrier electrolyte (concentration of acetonitrile and pH) on the retention behavior of the selected solutes was investigated. A separation of all eight pyrimidine derivatives could be obtained on a 6.5 cm column packed with the SAX/C6 stationary phase in less than 3 min, with good peak shapes and efficiencies in the range 39,000 to 81,000 plates per meter.

Immunoaffinity purification of chlorimuron-ethyl from soil extracts prior to quantitation by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

A competitive-indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CI-ELISA) was developed to quantify chlorimuron-ethyl in soil. The linear working range of the assay was from 1 to 1000 ng mL(-)(1). The assay had an I(50) value of 54 ng mL(-)(1), with a limit of detection of 2 ng mL(-)(1) and a limit of quantification of 27 ng mL(-)(1). Three soils were extracted using a carbonate buffer (pH 9.0) and the extracts spiked with chlorimuron-ethyl. Because of the effects of coextractants (matrix effects) from soil on the accuracy and precision of the ELISA, immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC) was used to purify chlorimuron-ethyl from soil extracts prior to analysis. The immunoaffinity columns, which had a total binding capacity of 1350 ng of chlorimuron-ethyl mL(-)(1) of immunosorbent, were prepared by binding anti-chlorimuron-ethyl antibodies to protein G Sepharose 4B. Although the matrix effects were largely removed using the affinity column, they could be completely removed by first passing the extract through a column containing epoxy-coupled 1,6-diaminohexane (EAH) Sepharose 4B to remove organic acids prior to IAC. Assay sensitivity was increased 100-fold using IAC to purify and simultaneously concentrate chlorimuron-ethyl from soil extracts. The purification strategy (EAH followed by IAC chromatography) removed matrix effects from all three soils and allowed for the accurate quantitation of chlorimuron-ethyl in soil extracts.

[Separation and determination of purine bases and pyrimidine bases from nucleic acid hydrolysis by HPLC on BDS column]

The hydrolysates of nucleic acid, six purine bases and pyrimidine bases (cytosine, uracil, guanine, hypoxanthine, adenine and thymine) were separated and determined by using HPLC. It is discussed how the column and mobile phase affect the separation. The peaks of cytosine and adenine are tailed on ordinary C18 column, and they are very good on BDS-C18 column. The KH2PO4-H3PO4 buffer can be used in separation the hydrolysates of RNA and DNA, and the NaAc-HAc buffer is only used in DNA. In addition, pH value is a very important factor for separation. With pH value of mobile phase increasing, the retention times of guanine, hypoxanthine and thymine were first increased and then decreased, adenine was increased, and cytosine and uracil were almost constant. The chosen mobile phase was 0.1 mol/L KH2PO4-H3PO4 buffer, with a pH value of 4.05. It was detected at UV 260 nm. The determination was completed within 10 min. The RSDs were all less than 3% and the recoveries were in the range of 82%-114%. The method has been applied to the detection of yeast hydrolysates.

Separation of purines and pyrimidines by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using dimethyl sulfoxide in binary and ternary eluents

Chromatographic systems with a silica sorbent and mobile phases containing dimethyl sulfoxide have been studied. It has been established that the substitution of isopropanol by dimethyl sulfoxide in binary eluents results in a specific selectivity of the chromatographic system and shows an improvement of the peak shape for the solutes under study. When mobile phases consisting of hexane, isopropanol and dimethyl sulfoxide (solvents with a limited mutual solubility) are used, changes in retention characteristics and peak symmetry are caused by a transition from adsorption to partition sorption mechanism. The stationary liquid phase is generated dynamically in the pores of silica, even in the mobile phases not saturated with a polar component. If the phase ratio of the column reaches 0.1, partition dominates over adsorption and such mixed partition-adsorption (MPA) systems show very good peak symmetry for the solutes under study. The investigation has shown that dimethyl sulfoxide-containing MPA systems are applicable in analytical practice.

Highly versatile solid phase synthesis of biofunctional 4-aryl-3,4-dihydropyrimidines using resin-bound isothiourea building blocks and multidirectional resin cleavage

A series of pharmacologically active, functionalized 4-aryl-3,4-dihydropyrimidine-5-carboxylates (DHPMs) are prepared by a versatile novel solid phase approach. In the key step, a polymer-bound thiouronium salt is condensed with unsaturated 1-ketoesters. The resulting polymer bound 1,4-dihydropyrimidines are cleaved from the resin employing multidirectional resin cleavage strategies.

Separation of the voriconazole stereoisomers by capillary electrophoresis and liquid chromatography

A chiral capillary electrophoresis (CE) method has been developed for the direct separation of the four stereoisomers of a new broad spectrum antifungal agent, voriconazole. Cyclodextrin (CD) modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography employing, alpha-CD, beta-CD, gamma-CD, hydroxypropyl-beta-CD and hydroxyethyl-beta-CD was not sufficiently selective for the four neutral stereoisomers. Three anionic sulphobutyl-ether-beta-CD (SBE-beta-CD) electrolyte additives, each having a defined degree of substitution (DS) (6.5, 4.5 and 1.0) were subsequently examined. The complete CE separation of all four stereoisomers was obtained when using the medium substituted additive DS = 4.5. In liquid chromatography (LC), two approaches were examined for the direct chiral separation of the stereoisomers of voriconazole: (a) use of the neutral and anionic CD mobile phase additives and (b) a vancomycin chiral stationary phase. The CD additives were shown to be extremely selective for two stereoisomers of voriconazole (active drug and its enantiomer) but unable to discriminate between the opposite two stereoisomers. The converse was observed, however, when the vancomycin chiral stationary phase was employed.

Isolation and characterization of diazoate intermediate upon nitrous acid and nitric oxide treatment of 2'-deoxycytidine

The intermediate produced from dCyd by HNO2 and NO treatments was isolated and characterized. When 10 mM dCyd was treated with 100 mM NaNO2 in 1.0 M acetate buffer (pH 3.7) at 37 degrees C, a previously unidentified product was formed. By spectrometric measurements, the product was identified as a diazoate derivative of dCyd, 1-(beta-D-2'-deoxyribofuranosyl)-2-oxopyrimidine-4-diazoate. The time course of the concentration change of the diazoate showed a profile characteristic of a reaction intermediate, and the maximum yield was 37 microM at the reaction time of 25 min. Up to the reaction time of 10 min, the diazoate concentration was greater than that of dUrd, a deamination product of dCyd. Addition of thiocyanate increased the yield of the diazoate in HNO2 treatment, whereas addition of ascorbate decreased the yield. When 10 mM dCyd in 100 mM phosphate buffer was treated with NO at 37 degrees C under aerobic conditions holding the pH (7.2-7.6), the diazoate was also generated. The yield of the diazoate was higher than that of dUrd up to 15 mmol of NO absorption. At pH 3.7 and 37 degrees C, the diazoate was converted to dUrd with the first-order rate constant k = 4.8 x 10(-)4 s-1 (t1/2 = 24 min). Under physiological conditions (pH 7.4, 37 degrees C), however, it was fairly stable (k = 5.8 x 10(-)7 s-1, t1/2 = 330 h). In both cases, the diazoate was converted to dUrd exclusively and no other intermediates were detected by HPLC analysis. Uracil-DNA glycosylase did not remove the diazoate residue from an oligodeoxynucleotide containing this damage, [d(T6DT5), D = the diazoate]. The Tm value of a duplex containing the diazoate, d(T6DT5).d(A5GA6), was much lower than that of a duplex containing a correct C:G base pair, d(T6CT5).d(A5GA6). These results show that the diazoate is generated as a stable intermediate in the reactions of dCyd with HNO2 and NO and that the major product is the diazoate but not dUrd in the initial stage of the reactions. Thus, once formed in vivo, the diazoate persists for long time in DNA and may act as a major cytotoxic and/or genotoxic lesion with biologically relevant doses of HNO2 and NO.

Isolation and identification of process impurities in trimethoprim drug substance by high-performance liquid chromatography, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Twenty-two lots of recently synthesized trimethoprim drug substance, from five different manufacturers, in three different countries of origin, China, Israel and the United States, were investigated for the presence of impurities. A liquid chromatographic system, using gradient elution, and a mobile phase consisting of 0.25% TEA/0.1% formic acid (pH 5.8)--acetonitrile, was used to separate and detect two significant, recurring impurities in trimethoprim drug substance. The two impurities were isolated by preparative liquid chromatography and identified, using a combination of liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance, as 2,4-diamino-5-(4-ethoxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzyl) pyrimidine and 2,4-diamino-5-(3-bromo-4,5-dimethoxybenzyl) pyrimidine. These impurities were not detected by the compendial method and were present at significant levels in 17 of the lots tested. Total impurity concentrations were in the range of 0.1-2.1%.

Capillary electrophoretic separation of weak base enantiomers using the single-isomer heptakis-(2,3-dimethyl-6-sulfato)-beta-cyclodextrin as resolving agent and methanol as background electrolyte solvent

The sodium salt of the single-isomer, heptakis-(2,3-dimethyl-6-sulfato)-beta-cyclodextrin (HDMS-betaCD) was used as resolving agent in the capillary electrophoretic (CE) separation of weak base enantiomers in pure methanol background electrolytes (BEs). According to the requirements of the charged resolving agent migration model of CE enantiomer separations (CHARM model), a high buffer-capacity, low pH methanolic BE was created from 25 mM phosphoric acid and 12.5 mM NaOH. In this BE, the solubility of HDMS-betaCD was as high as 50 mM, permitting the realization of very high separation selectivities and short separation times for the fully protonated weak base enantiomers.

Hydroxyakalone, a novel xanthine oxidase inhibitor produced by a marine bacterium, Agrobacterium aurantiacum

A new xanthine oxidase inhibitor named hydroxyakalone was isolated from the culture broth of a marine bacterium Agrobacterium aurantiacum N-81106. Structure of hydroxyakalone was determined to be 4-amino-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-3-one-6-ol by the spectral studies of hydroxyakalone and its permethyl derivative. The concentration to induce 50% inhibition (IC50) was 4.6 microM against xanthine oxidase.

Two new puriniums and three new pyrimidines from Heterostemma brownii

Two new puriniums, heteromines D (4) and E (5), and three new pyrimidines, heteromines F (6), G (7), and H (8), were isolated from the aerial parts of Heterostemma brownii Hay. Their structures were determined as 7,9-dimethyl-2-(N,N-dimethylamino)guaninium chloride, 7,9-dimethyl-2-(N-methylamino)guaninium chloride, 6-methoxy-4-(N-methylamino)-2-(N,N-dimethylamino)-5- (N-methylformamido)pyrimidine, 6-methoxy-2,4-bis(N-methylamino)-5-(N-methylformamido)pyrimidine, and 2-amino-6-methoxy-4-(N-methylamino)-5-(N-methylformamido)-pyrimidi ne, respectively.

T-lymphocytes from AIDS patients are unable to synthesize ribonucleotides de novo in response to mitogenic stimulation. Impaired pyrimidine responses are already evident at early stages of HIV-1 infection

Proliferative defects have been reported at the level of DNA synthesis, even in T-lymphocytes from asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus type-1+ (HIV-1+) patients. Since purine and pyrimidine ribonucleotide availability is crucial for proliferation, we compared the ability of HIV-1- and HIV-1+ T-lymphocytes (> 95% CD4+ and CD8+) to activate de novo biosynthetic and salvage pathways following phytohemagglutinin stimulation using 14C-labeled precursors. The striking abnormality already detectable in asymptomatic patients' cells was the impaired ability of CTP, UDP-Glc, and UTP pools to expand over 72 h (44-70% of control), although ATP and GTP pools and responses were normal. In symptomatic patients, resting T-cells showed markedly reduced pyrimidine pools (53-74% of control) with no change following activation. Relatively normal ATP, GTP, and NAD pools masked the same impaired response of de novo synthesis to activation, with ATP and GTP being reduced by 50% at 48 h. Purine salvage was more active than the control in unstimulated HIV-1+ cells. This impaired de novo synthesis in HIV-1+ T-lymphocytes severely restricts the availability of ribonucleotides for vital growth-related activities such as membrane expansion and strand break repair as well as DNA and RNA synthesis. The data indicate that resting T-lymphocytes from symptomatic patients survive through enhanced salvage, but the stimulation induces metabolic cell death, and provide an explanation for the activation-associated lymphocyte death seen in HIV-1+ T-lymphocytes.

Cytotoxic effects of inhibitors of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis upon Plasmodium falciparum

The malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum can only synthesize pyrimidine nucleotides via the de novo pathway which is therefore a suitable target for development of antimalarial drugs. New assay procedures have been developed using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) which enable concurrent measurement of pyrimidine intermediates in malaria. Synchronized parasites growing in erythrocytes were pulse-labeled with [14C]bicarbonate at 6-h intervals around the 48-h asexual life cycle. Analysis of malarial extracts by HPLC showed tht incorporation of [14C]bicarbonate into pyrimidine nucleotides was maximal during the transition from trophozoites to schizonts. The reaction, N-carbamyl-L-aspartate-->L-dihydroorotate (CA-asp-->DHO) catalyzed by malarial dihydroorotase is inhibited by L-6-thiodihydroorotate (TDHO) in vitro (Ki = 6.5 microM), and TDHO, as the free acid or methyl ester, induces a major accumulation of CA-asp in malaria. Atovaquone, a naphthoquinone, is a moderate inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase in vitro (Ki = 27 microM) but induces major accumulations of CA-asp and DHO. Pyrazofurin induces accumulation of orotate and orotidine in malaria, consistent with inhibition of orotidine 5'-monophosphate (OMP) decarboxylase with subsequent dephosphorylation of the OMP accumulated. Although TDHO, atovaquone, and pyrazofurin arrest the growth of P. falciparum, only moderate decreases in UTP, CTP, and dTTP were observed. 5-Fluoroorotate also arrests the growth of P. falciparum with major accumulations of 5-fluorouridine mono-, di-, and triphosphates and the most significant inhibition of de novo biosynthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides.

On the structures of crambescins B and C1

Revised structures have been assigned to the cyclic guanidine-containing crambescins B [3] and C1 [5], from the Mediterranean sponge Crambe crambe. The revisions were based on the fabms/cid/ms spectra of the [M+H]+ ions from crambescins B and C1 and hrfabms measurements on key fragment ions in the ms/ms spectra, which identify losses of C9H19 and C8H18N3O side-chains.

Microbial reduction of 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-4-[4-(5-fluoro-2-pyrimidinyl)-1- piperazinyl]butan-1-one

Among various micro-organisms screened for the stereoselective reduction of 4-chloro-1-(4-fluorophenyl)butan-1-one (1), Hansenula polymorpha [American Type Culture Collection (A.T.C.C.) 26012 and 86014], Nocardia salmonicolor [Squibb Culture (S.C.) 6370], Arthobacter simplex (A.T.C.C. 6949), Mycobacterium vaccae (A.T.C.C. 29678), Candida boidinii (A.T.C.C. 13821) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (A.T.C.C. 13792) reduced compound 1 to the corresponding (R)-(+)-alcohol (2). In contrast, Lactobacillus kefir (A.T.C.C. 35411), Pullularia pullulans (A.T.C.C. 16623), Trigonopsis variabilis (A.T.C.C. 10679) and Cunninghamella echinulata (A.T.C.C. 26269) reduced compound 1 to the (S)-(-)-alcohol (2). When 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-4-(1-piperazinyl)butan-1-one (3) was used as substrate for the reduction, only Nocardia globerula (A.T.C.C. 12505) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (A.T.C.C. 13792) converted compound 3 into the corresponding (R)-(+)-alcohol (4). Organisms which reduced compound 1 were inactive for the reduction of compound 3. 1-(4-Fluorophenyl)-4-[4-(5-fluoro-2- pyrimidinyl)butan-1-one (5) was reduced to the corresponding (R)-(+)-alcohol (6) by Mortierella ramanniana (A.T.C.C. 38191) and to the (S)-(-)-alcohol (6) by Pullularia pullulans (A.T.C.C. 16623). (R)-(+)-compound 2 and compound 4 are key chiral intermediates in the total chemical synthesis of (R)-(+)-compound 6, an effective antipsychotic agent under development at Bristol-Myers Squibb. A single-stage (fermentation/biotransformation) process and two-stage (fermentation and subsequent biotransformation by cell suspensions) process were developed for the stereoselective reduction of compound 5 to (R)-(+)-compound 6 by Mortierella ramanniana (A.T.C.C. 38191). In both processes, the reaction yield of 98% and the optical purity of 99.4% were obtained for (R)-(+)-compound 6. The enzyme which catalysed the reduction of compound 5 to (R)-(+)-compound 6 was purified to homogeneity. The purified protein consisted of a single polypeptide of 29 kDa.

Formation of 2,5-diamino-4-hydroxy-6-(2'-deoxyribosyl)-formamidopyrimidine from 2'-deoxyguanosine in aqueous solution irradiated with 60Co gamma-rays

2'-Deoxyguanosine in aqueous solution (5 x 10(-4) mol/dm3) was irradiated with 60Co gamma-rays under N2O. Products were separated by gel chromatography (Cellulofine GC-15-m) and high performance liquid chromatography (Inertsil ODS-2). 2-Amino-4-hydroxy-5-formamido-6-(2'-deoxyribosyl)-aminopyrimidine was one of the main radiolytic products. The formation of 2,5-diamino-4- hydroxy-6-(2'-deoxyribosyl)-formamidopyrimidine was detected, this compound being verified by measuring its ultraviolet absorption spectrum and analyzing its trimethylsilylated derivative by gas chromato-mass spectrometry. Its yield in terms of 2-amino-4-hydroxy-5-formamido-6-(2'-deoxyribosyl)- aminopyrimidine was 1:3.

[The determination of free and bound methylated nucleobases in food]

The following method was developed for the qualitative and quantitative determination of methylated purine and pyrimidine bases in food; some RNA-rich food was also investigated. The bases were liberated from nucleic acids, nucleotides, and nucleosides by acid hydrolysis with trifluoroacetic and formic acid (1/1, V/V) at 240 degrees C in a pressure-digestion system. Purification and fractionation of hydrolysates were achieved by sorbent extraction with an RP 18 column and a cation exchange column. The major and methylated nucleobases were determined by ion-exchange chromatography and reversed-phase-HPLC.

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of pyrimidine bases and nucleosides. Application of solvophobic theory

The chromatographic behaviour of some natural and modified pyrimidine bases and nucleosides on an octadecyl stationary phase was studied. The retention and selectivity parameters of the separation of the compounds studied were derived on the basis of solvophobic theory. The mechanism of base and nucleoside interactions with the surface of the hydrocarbonaceous stationary phase is discussed. The best separation is observed at pH 3.5 for the bases and at pH 4.8-5.2 for the nucleosides. An increase in the solute surface tension results in an increased selectivity of separation. When the surface tension and the ionic strength of the mobile phase are not kept constant, there are considerable deviations in retention from that predicted by solvophobic theory.

[Optimization of separation of purine and pyrimidine compounds using ion-pair reversed-phase high performance chromatography (HPLC)]

Utilization of ion-air reagents in a reversed-phase chromatographic system allows solving a number of problems related to the separation of purine and pyrimidine derivatives. Simultaneous analysis of nucleotides, nucleosides and their bases was carried out by acetonitrile gradient elution using tetrabutyl ammonium phosphate as a counterion in the mobile phase. Besides, optimal conditions were selected for isocratic separation of adenine nucleotides and their metabolites. Furthermore, isocratic separation of certain purines and pyrimidines was achieved by modifying the stationary C18-phase with pentane- and heptane sulphonic acids.

[Parameters of adsorption chromatography. 5. Adsorption parameters of potential pyrimidine-type antimycotics and their correlation with biological activity]

The RF-values of 19 fungicidal pyrimidine derivatives were determined by means of thin-layer chromatography (aluminium oxide layers) in some solvent systems and the relating parameters of adsorption chromatography were calculated. Furthermore the retention times of HPLC were determined. Both of the parameters were correlated with experimentally determined biological values.

New approach to the rapid optimisation of conditions for the isocratic separation of multicomponent mixtures

Despite the rapid advances in chromatographic technology, the development of high-performance liquid chromatographic methods remains expensive with respect to both time and materials. A new approach is proposed here which is suitable for the investigation of eluents and packings for the resolution of multicomponent samples. This is based upon the use of a small column to mimic the retentive characteristics of isocratic analytical systems but on a greatly reduced time scale. The general utility of this approach is illustrated by three applications, using data for purines and pyrimidines on both reversed-phase and ion-exchange systems.

A set of procedures for resolving purine compounds by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography: application to the study of purine nucleotide and nucleic acid metabolism

A set of simple procedures for the separation of major purine 5'-ribonucleotides including diguanosine polyphosphates, purine and pyrimidine bases, and 2'- and 3'-nucleotide monophosphates using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and isocratic elution study of purine nucleotide and nucleic acid biosynthesis in Artemia is presented.

Isolation of the adducts of platinum complexes and nucleic acid bases on the Dowex 50 W column

The method presented here enables the isolation of three monofunctional adducts. These are: platination of cytosine, adenine and guanosine. The three detected bifunctional complexes were: guanine N7 to N7, adenine N7 to N7 and adenine N7 to N1. A mixed bifunctional complex of guanine and adenosine and the product of polymerization of three adenines and two moieties of cis DDP were also detected. In the peak eluted separately from the guanine standard, no Pt was detected. The sample eluted in this peak had UV spectrum different from the standard and may represent the degraded product of guanine and polymerized Pt.

A modified high-performance thin-layer plate for the separation of purines and pyrimidines

Several ways of using the recently developed high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) precoated plate NH2 F 254s to separate purines and pyrimidines are described. This precoated plate is coated with silica gel 60 which has been chemically modified with alkylamino groups. In view of the chemical properties of the functional groups bonded to the silica gel matrix, the HPTLC precoated plate NH2 F 254s can be considered to be a weak basic ion-exchange plate. In aqueous eluants the substances are separated principally according to charge differences. The HPTLC precoated plate NH2 F 254s can, however, also be used to separate uncharged, polar compounds with organic solvents. Examples of separations and chromatograms for its use in both aqueous and organic eluants are given.

High-performance liquid chromatography of biologically important pyrimidine derivatives with ultraviolet--voltammetric--polarographic detection

High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of a number of biologically important pyrimidine derivatives was studied in the reversed-phase system. Good results were obtained using a C18 alkyl-bonded silica column and an aqueous citrate--phosphate mobile phase of pH 3.5. All eluted components are detected with the UV absorbance detector at 254 nm, whereas the voltammetric detector with a polymeric carbon-paste electrode detects only derivatives containing oxidizable functional groups (amino, mercapto) and the polarographic detector with a mercury electrode only those with reducible groups (nitro, aza). The signal of the electrochemical detectors is proportional to the number of electroactive groups in the solute molecule. The use of two or three detectors in series thus improves the resolution of complex mixtures and facilitates identification.

Identification of N5-methyl-N5-formyl-2,5,6-triamino-4-hydroxypyrimidine as a major adduct in rat liver DNA after treatment with the carcinogens, N,N-dimethylnitrosamine or 1,2-dimethylhydrazine

A major and previously undetected carcinogen-DNA adduct was found in the livers of rats given N,N-dimethylnitrosamine or 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. This adduct, which accounted for 55% of the total methyl residues in DNA at 72 hours after carcinogen treatment, was chromatographically identical to a synthetic purine ring-opened derivative of 7-methylguanine and could be released from the isolated hepatic DNA by a specific E. coli glycosylase. The synthetic ring-opened adduct was characterized by mass and NMR spectroscopy as N5-methyl-N5-formyl-2,5,6-triamino-4-hydroxypyrimidine and appears to exist in two rotameric forms.

Comparison of the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic separations of fluoropyrimides, pyrimidines, and purines

The reversed-phase, high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of fluoropyrimidines, pyrimidines, and purines was investigated under isocratic conditions at ambient temperature. The performance of nine analytical, commercially available columns with five mobile phases is compared, and capacity and resolution factors are reported. The variables determining resolution are discussed, and the systems accomplishing the desired separation of fluoropyrimidine and pyrimidine bases and nucleosides are described. The best chromatographic results are achieved by using Spherisorb ODS-2 as stationary phase and 0.05 M monobasic ammonium phosphate (pH 3.5) as mobile phase.

Rapid preparation of nucleotides from acid-soluble pools by chromatography on silica, as exemplified with acid extracts of cultured cells

A rapid technique (5-10 min) has been developed for fractionating nucleotides from base and nucleoside contaminants in acid extracts of cells, by adsorption to silica gels. Silica gels (1-mL bed volume) were washed with 5 mL of water then with 5 mL of acetonitrile/water (90/10 by vol). After applying 3-mL samples, adjusted to 900 mL/L acetonitrile content, we washed the gel with an additional 10 mL of the acetonitrile/water solvent. More than 95% of the amounts of bases and nucleosides prsent, except for cytidine (92%), did not adsorb to silica under these conditions. Nucleotides were then quantitatively eluted with 9 mL of water. The retention volumes for positive, negative, and neutral nucleic acid components have been determined, to investigate the discriminatory properties of nucleic acid components on silica. Compounds (bases, nucleosides) that are not ionized at pH 7 do not bind to silica. However, negative, positive, and zwitterionic compounds are tightly adsorbed to the silica gels. This procedure has been used to purify nucleotides from several normal and transformed cell lines.

Separation of six DNA bases by ion pair--reversed phase high pressure liquid chromatography

An ion pair-reversed phase chromatography system is described which separates six of the bases normally found in prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic DNA from each other and from uracil, the characteristic base found in RNA. The effect of varying pH and the percentage of methanol in the column buffer is described. The addition of the ion-pairing reagent heptane sulfonate was shown to be necessary to achieve separation of all of these bases.

Ion-exchange separation of nucleic acid constituents by high-performance liquid chromatography

The high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of a large variety of nucleic acid constituents on a silica-based, weak-anion exchange column was accomplished. Using this technique it was possible to achieve some relatively difficult separations, such as the separation of 2'-, 3'-, and 5'-AMP, and the separation of a mixture of ribo- and deoxyribo-nucleosides and -nucleotides. A number of other separations are demonstrated by isocratic or gradient elution. These include the separation of a mixture of nucleoside monophosphates, the separation of a mixture of nucleoside mono-, di-, and triphosphates, the separation of a mixture of nucleosides and bases, and the separation of a mixture of nucleotide oligomers. These chromatographic separations were accomplished using relatively simple experimental procedures at ambient temperatures and involved relatively short analysis times. Excellent separations were obtained, in most cases, by adjustment of buffer concentration and pH, or by addition of an organic modifier. In some cases, it was necessary to use gradient elution to achieve optimum resolution.

Rapid separation of DNA constituents, bases, nucleosides and nucleotides, under the same chromatographic conditions using high-performance liquid chromatography with a reversed-phase column

Four components of three sets of DNA constituents, bases, deoxyribonucleosides and deoxyribonucleoside 5'-monophosphate, were sufficiently resolved under one set of chromatographic conditions using high-performance liquid chromatography with a reversed-phase column (Zorbax ODS) and the solvent 0.4 M NH4H2PO4 (pH 3.5). The effect of pH and salt concentration in the solvent on the retention of these compounds in the column was thoroughly investigated. Proportionality of peak height to the content, and reproducibility and recovery of the four bases were satisfactory under appropriate conditions and as little as 1 microgram of DNA could be analysed for its base composition by this method.

Weakly basic impurities in illicit amphetamine

In this paper the isolation and identification of two pyrimidines, five pyridines, and one pyridone as impurities in illicit amphetamines prepared by the Leuckart synthesis are reported. Isolation was achieved by repeated thin-layer chromatography with various solvent mixtures, while identification was done by both high and low resolution mass spectrometry and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Some chromatographic data are reported and a quantitative analysis of a reaction mixture and an illicit amphetamine is given.

Isolation of 4-(1'-D-ribitylamino)-5-amino-2,6-dihydroxypyrimidine from a riboflavin-adenine-deficient mutant of Bacillus subtilis

Studies were carried out to determine possible intermediates involved in the biosynthetic pathway of riboflavin, using resting cells of a riboflavin-adenine-deficient mutant, Bacillus subtilis AJ1988. The cells excreted 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine, the end product in the biosynthetic pathway, into the incubation medium in large amounts. The addition of glyoxal caused a large accumulation of a green fluorescent compound; an inverse relation was observed between the formation of the lumazine and the concentration of glyoxal. Furthermore, added [2-14C]guanine effectively incorporated into the lumazine and the fluorescent compound in the same specific activity during incubation. The fluorescent compound was isolated, purified, and identified by paper chromatographic, fluorometric, and spectrophotometric analyses. It was proved to be 8-(1'-D-ribityl)lumazine, which appeared to have been formed by a reaction between glyoxal and a possible intermediate in the cells. Accordingly, 4-(1'-D-ribitylamino)-5-amino-2,6-dihydroxypyrimidine was concluded to be an immediate precursor of 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine.

Separation of alkyl derivatives of uracil by solvophobic adsorption chromatography on spheron

Derivatives of such related substances as cytosine, uracil, thymine, 6-methyl-uracil, 5-ethyluracil, 5-propyluracil, 5-isopropyluracil, 5-cyclopropyluracil, 5-allyluracil, 5,6-trimethyleneuracil, 6-cyclopropyluracil, 5-cyclobutyluracil and 5-tert-butyluracil have been separated on a column of Spheron P-300. Retention on the column was found to depend on the size of the non-polar part of the molecule. The chromatographic behaviour is analyzed according to the theory of solvophobic chromatography.

Conformation affinity of cross-linked polyacrylic gels towards nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides

By radical copolymerisation of monofunctional acrylic derivatives with 1,4-tetramethylene dimethacrylate, cross-linked polyacrylic gels which show a high affinity towards nucleic acid residues have been synthesised. Using these polyacrlic gels, mixtures of nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides can be chromatographically separated to differing extents, in some cases quantitatively. The elution of nucleobases and nucleosides from the gel in the order Cyt, Gua, Thy, Ade (or dC, dG, dT, dA and C, G, U, A, respectively) shows that Ade (dA, A) is retarded to the highest degree from the gel matrix, Cyt (dC, C) to the lowest degree. Further, the results of the separations prove that the affinity of the polyacrylic gels is much stronger towards deoxyribonucleosides than towards ribonucleosides and nucleobases. The affinity of the polyacrylic gels towards nucleobases and nucleosides depends mainly upon their tertiary structure whereas the functional side groups of the polyacrylate matrix do not contribute significantly to the interaction of the gels.