Formation of guanine ribonucleotidyl-(3'-5')-adenosine in a flavinogenic strain of Eremothecium ashbyii.

The addition of caffeine caused the accumulation of a new nucleotide compound simultaneously with the rigid inhibition of ribofalvin production in non-growing cells of Eremothecium ashbyii. In the present study we tried to identify the structure of the nucleotide compound using non-growing cells of the mold. 1) It became possible to obtain a large amount of mycelia by masscultivation in a reagent tank. 2) A new nucleotide compound, referred to as compound A in the paper, was extracted with perchloric acid solution and purified by the following subsequent procedures: 1) Dowex 1 x 2 (HCOO-) column, 2) charcoal treatment, 3) DEAE-Sephadex A25 (CI-) column, 4) Dowex 1 x 2 (C1-) column, and 5) DEAE-Sephadex A25 (HCO3-) column. 3) The structure of the new nucleotide compound was proved to be guanine ribonucleotidyl-(3'-5')-adenosine (GpA) from the results of the following analyses: 1) alkaline degradation, 2) UV-spectra, IR-spectra and NMR-spectra, and 3) enzymatic treatments with RNase T2 and phosphodiesterase. 4) The roles of caffeine and guanine ribonucleotidyl-(3'-5')-adenosine in connection with flavinogenesis of this mold were discussed.