Summary
9-[5′-deoxy-5′-(methylthio)-β-d-xylofuranosyl]-adenine, the first naturally occurring analog of methylthioadenosine (MTA), was isolated from the marine nudibranch molluscDoris verrucosa. This finding provides indirect evidence for the existence in nature of analogs of S-adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet), the ubiquitous naturally-occurring biological methyl donor.
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References
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The isolation and structural determination of these compounds, as well as their biological properties, will be reported elsewhere.
Mass spectral data were provided by ‘Servizio di Spettrometria di Massa del CNR e dell'Università di Napoli’. The assistance of the staff is gratefully acknowledged.
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We thank J. A. Montgomery for a copy of the H-NMR spectrum of synthetic 3.
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Cimino, G., Crispino, A., De Stefano, S. et al. A naturally-occurring analog of methylthioadenosine (MTA) from the nudibranch molluscDoris verrucosa. Experientia 42, 1301–1302 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01946433
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01946433