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P T Gilham

Publications and source records attributed to P T Gilham.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Guanosine tetraphyosphate and its analogues. Chemical synthesis of guanosine 3',5'-dipyrophosphate, deoxyguanosine 3',5'-dipyrophosphate, guanosine 2',5'-bis(methylenediphosphonate), and guanosine 3',5'-bis(methylenediphosphonate).

A new procedure for the synthesis of the pyrophosphate bond has been employed in the preparation of nucleoside dipyrophosphates from nucleoside 3',5'-diphosphates. The method makes use of a powerful phosphorylating agent generated in a mixture of cyanoethyl phosphate, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, and mesitylenesulfonyl chloride in order to avoid possible intramolecular reactions between the two phosphate groups on the sugar ring. That such reactions can readily occur was shown by the facile cyclization of deoxyguanosine 3',5'-diphosphate to P1,P2-deoxyguanosine 3',5'-cyclic pyrophosphate in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide alone. The phosphorylation reagent was initially tested in the conversion of deoxyguanosine 3',5'-diphosphate to the corresponding 3',5'-dipyrophosphate and was then used to phosphorylate 2'-O-(alpha-methoxyethyl)guanosine 3',5'-diphosphate, which had been prepared from 2'-O-(alpha-methoxyethyl)guanosine. In the latter case, the addition of the two beta phosphate groups was accomplished in 40% yield. Removal of the methoxyethyl group from the phosphorylated product gave guanosine 3',5'-dipyrophosphate, which was shown to be identical with guanosine tetraphosphate prepared enzymatically from a mixture of GDP and ATP. A modification of published procedures was also necessary to effect the synthesis of guanosine bis(methylenediphosphonate). Guanosine was treated with methylenediphosphonic acid and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide in the absence of added base. The product consisted of a mixture of guanosine 2',5' - and 3',5'-bis(methylenediphosphonate), which was resolved by anion-exchange chromatography. The 2',5' and 3',5' isomers are interconvertible at low pH, with the ultimate formation of an equilibrium mixture having a composition ratio of 2:3. The predominant constituent of this mixture has been unequivocally identified as the 3',5' isomer by synthesis from 2'-O-tetrahydropyranylguanosine.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

The use of terminal blocking groups for the specific joining of oligonucleotides in RNA ligase reactions containing equimolar concentrations of acceptor and donor molecules.

Under the conditions that RNA ligase converts the tetranucleotide, pA-A2-A, to larger polynucleotides, no such polymerization can be detected with the derivative, pA-A2-A(MeOEt), that possesses a terminal 2'-0-(alpha-methoxyethyl) group. The protection against self condensation offered by the methoxyethyl group in this system allows the specific joining of donor and acceptor oligonucleotides in reaction mixtures containing equimolar concentrations of the two species. Thus, the enzyme, together with ATP, converts equimolar quantities of A-A2-A and pA-A2-A(MeOEt) to A-A6-A(MeOEt) in 55% yield, while a similar reaction with A-A2-A and pU-U2-U(MeOEt) results in a 40% yield of A-A3-U3-U(MeOEt). The intermediate in these ligations is a disubstituted pyrophosphate composed of the donor molecule and the adenylate moiety deriving from ATP. In the case of the intermediate arising from the blocked adenosine tetranucleotide, the assigned structure, A5'pp5'A-A2-A(MeOEt), has been confirmed by chemical synthesis. The pyrophosphate derivative is able to participate in joining reactions in the absence of ATP. These observations constitute an efficient approach to the synthesis of larger polynucleotides from a specific series of oligonucleotide blocks since (i), the methoxyethyl group can be easily introduced into each oligonucleotide using the single addition reaction catalyzed by polynucleotide phosphorylase in the presence of a 2'-0-(alpha-methoxyethyl)nucleoside 5'-diphosphate, and (ii), the blocking group may be readily removed under mild conditions after each successive ligation reaction. Two other octanucleotides, I-I2-A-U3-U and U-U2-C-I3-A, have also been synthesized by this method, and these molecules correspond (with I substituting for G) to sequences appearing near the 3' terminus of the 6S RNA transcribed from phage lambda DNA. The terminal 3'-phosphate group serves equally well as a blocking group for specific ligation reactions in that the ligase converts equimolar amounts of A-A2-A and pA-A2-Ap to A-A6-Ap in 50% yield.

Kinetics↗

"Single Addition" substrates for the synthesis of specific oligoribonucleotides with polynucleotide phosphorylase. Synthesis of 2'-(alpha-methoxyethy) nucleoside 5'-diphosphates.

A number of synthetic methods for the preparation of the 2-O-(alpha-methoxyethyl) derivatives of the 5-diphosphates of adenosine, cytidine, guanosine, and uridine have been studied in order to provide nucleotide substrates that can be applied to the synthesis of specific oligoribonucleotides using polynucleotide phosphorylase. The reaction of nucleoside 5-diphosphates with methyl vinyl ether for a limited time produces low yields of the corresponding 2-O-(alpha-methoxyethyl) derivatives because the rate of methoxyethylation of the 3-hydroxyl groups. A study of the rates of acidic hydrolysis of alpha-methoxyethyl groups in the 2 and 3 positions of nucleosides and nucleotides has been made, and the results obtained form the basis of a more efficient method for the synthesis of the blocked nucleoside diphosphates. The method involves the reaction of nucleoside 5-diphosphates with methyl vinyl ether to give the corresponding 2,3-di-O-(alpha-methoxyethyl)nucleoside 5-diphosphates, and exploits the fact that, in the acidic hydrolysis of these derivatives, the rate of removal of the 3-methoxyethyl group is about twice that of the group in the 2 position. Alternative syntheses were based on the phosphorylation of methoxyethylated nucleosides and nucleotides. The derivatives, 2-O- and 2,3-di-O-(alpha-methoxyethyl)uridine, were prepared by the methoxyethylation of 3,5-di-O-acetyluridine and 5-O-acetyluridine followed by removal of the acetyl groups. The corresponding guanosine derivatives were made by the synthetic routes: (i) guanosine leads to O-2,O-3,O-5,N-2-tetrabenzoylguanosine leads to 2-N-benzoylguanosine leads to O3-acetyl-N-2,O5-dibenzoylguanosine leads to 2-O-(alpha-methoxyethyl)guanosine, and (ii) 2,3-O-isopropylideneguanosine leads to N-2,O5-diacetyl-2,3-O-isopropylideneguanosine leads to N-2,O-5-diacetylguanosine leads to 2,3-di-O-(alpha-methoxyethyl)guanosine. These methoxyethylated nucleosides were converted to the corresponding 5-phosphates by reaction with cyanoethyl phosphate and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, and then to the corresponding 5-diphosphates by subsequent reaction with 1,1-carbonyldiimidazole and inorganic phosphate.

Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose↗

An improved method for the purification of tRNA by chromatography on dihydroxyboryl substituted cellulose.

An improved method for the rapid separation of aminoacyl-tRNA from tRNA by chromatography on dihydroxyboryl-substituted cellulose has been developed. The method relies on the selective binding of unacylated tRNA to the cell cellulose support containing dihydroxyboryl groups. This binding is the result of complex formation between the cis-diol group of the 3'-terminal ribose in tRNA and the dihydroxyboryl groups immobilized on the resin. Aminoacyl-tRNA cannot undergo borate complex formation and is not retained on the resin. The separation is carried out at near neutral pH values ensuring stability of the aminoacyl ester linkage. The aminoacyl-tRNAs are obtained in very high purity. Aminoacyl-tRNA species containing the modified nucleoside Q are also retained on dihydroxyboryl cellulose. Conditions for isolating all Q base containing tRNA species from unfractionated tRNA are described.

Boric Acids↗

'Single addition' and 'transnucleotidation' reactions catalyzed by polynucleotide phosphorylase. Effect of enzymatic removal of inorganic phosphate during reaction.

The reaction of the tetranucleotide, pA-A(2)-A, with 2'(3')-0-(alpha-methoxyethyl)uridine 5'-diphosphate, Mg(2+) ions, and M. luteus polynucleotide phosphorylase followed by mild acid treatment to remove the blocking groups results in a 49% yield of the desired single addition product, pA-A(3)-U, together with smaller amounts of pA-A-U, pA-A-A, pA-A(2)-U, pA-A(2)-A, pA-A(3)-A, pA-A(4)-U, and pA-A(4)-A. The side products are thought to arise from the phosphorolysis of the acceptor molecule by the inorganic phosphate formed in the reaction mixture and from subsequent additions to the various oligonucleotide species by the resulting adenosine 5'-diphosphate. A system developed for the removal of inorganic phosphate as it is formed in the synthesis involves the addition to the reaction mixture of calf spleen nucleoside phosphorylase and nicotinamide riboside and, under these conditions, pA-A(3)-U can be prepared in 90% yield with essentially no side products. Under similar conditions, pA-A(3)-A, pA-A(3)-G, and pA-A(3)-C may be prepared from pA-A(2)-A and the appropriate blocked nucleoside diphosphate in yields of 85-94%. The incubation of pA-A(2)-A alone with polynucleotide phosphorylase exhibits the phenomenon of "transnucleotidation" in that the molecule is partially converted to oligonucleotides of smaller and larger chain lengths. In the presence of the phosphate removal system, however, the tetranucleotide is not attacked by the enzyme, and thus, "transnucleotidation" appears to be simply a combination of phosphorolytic and addition reactions catalyzed by trace amounts of inorganic phosphate contaminating the enzyme and/or the substrate.

Adenine Nucleotides↗