ON THE INCORPORATION OF LABELLED ADENINE INTO THE PURINES OF THE NUCLEIC ACIDS IN THE RAT
Adenine labelled with C14 in position 2 and with N15 in positions 1 and 3 was injected intraperitoneally into rats, and the purines of the nucleic acids from the pooled viscera were isolated. The C14/N15 ratios of the isolated adenine and guanine were considerably lower than that of the injected adenine, indicating that during the formation of the nucleic acid purines from the administered material there was a loss of C14 relative to N15. This loss was larger for the guanine, which had a C14/N15 ratio 52–67% lower than that of the injected adenine. Metabolic removal of carbon 2 of the adenine was shown further by the excretion of 22% of the injected radioactivity as respiratory carbon dioxide. Fifty-three per cent of the administered radioactivity was excreted in the urine and of this less than half was accounted for as allantoin, adenine, and urea. The C14/N15 ratio of the urinary allantoin was intermediate in value between those of the adenine and guanine. The evidence obtained indicates that during the metabolic conversion of adenine to guanine the purine ring may undergo rupture at the 2 position. A possible mechanism for the reaction is presented.