Methanol esterification reactions catalyzed by snake venom and bovine intestinal 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterases. Formation of nucleoside 5'-monophosphate methyl esters from guanosine 5'-triphosphate and other nucleoside 5'-polyphosphates.

It is not known whether the enzymes 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase/nucleotide pyrophosphatase (EC 3.1.4.1/EC 3.6.1.9) catalyze the transfer of nucleotides to acceptors other than water. We have investigated the action of snake venom and bovine intestinal mucosa phosphodiesterases on nucleoside 5'-polyphosphates in the presence of methanol. In those conditions, GTP was converted by snake venom phosphodiesterase to a mixture of GMP and another compound with a different retention time in reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. That compound, by ultraviolet, 1H- and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analysis, and by enzyme analysis, was characterized as the methyl ester of GMP (GMP-OMe). The molar fraction [GMP-OMe]/[GMP + GMP-OMe] formed was higher than the molar fraction of methanol as a solvent in reaction mixtures. Similar reactions took place at comparable rates with snake venom and bovine intestinal mucosa phosphodiesterases using several nucleoside 5'-polyphosphates as substrates. The ability of 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterases to catalyze transfer reactions to a non-water acceptor is relevant to the mechanism of the enzymes, to their use as analytical tools, and to their possible use/role in the preparative/in vivo synthesis of nucleotide esters.