SYNTHESIS OF NUCLEIC ACIDS INESCHERICHIA COLV

Abstract

The utilization of some purines, pyrimidines, nuclosides, and nucleotides for biosynthesis of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) bases by E. coli was investigated by the isotopic competition techniques. Adenine, adenosine, and desoxyadenosine are precursors of RNA and DNA adenine and guanine. Guanine, guanosine, and desoxyguanosine are precursors of RNA and DNA guanine but contribute to the synthesis of adenine only to a limited extent. Cytosine, cytidine, desoxy-cytidine, cytidylic acid, uracil, uridine, and uridylic acid are effective as precursors of RNA and DNA cytosine as well as of uracil and thymine. No incorporation of thymine or thymidine was detectable by the method.