Transfer
Hydrogenation as a Redox Process in Nucleotides
- Publication date
- Publisher
Abstract
Using a combined theoretical and
experimental strategy, the heats
of hydrogenation of the nucleotide bases uracil, thymine, cytosine,
adenine, and guanine have been determined. The most easily hydrogenated
base is uracil, followed by thymine and cytosine. Comparison of these
hydrogenation enthalpies with those of ketones and aldehydes derived
from sugar models indicates the possibility of near-thermoneutral
hydrogen transfer between uracil and the sugar phosphate backbone
in oligonucleotides