Quantitative separation of nucleotides on mercurated dextran.

Dextran gels of varying porosites (Sephadex G series) were chemically modified so as to contain covalently bound monofunctional mercury. Mercurated Sephadex of the porosity G-25 was then used to fractionate mixtures of mono- and dinucleotides into the constituent components. Separation is based on the affinity of the nitrogen binding sites of the purine and pyrimidine derivatives for organomercurial Hg+. Thus, a mixture composed of the four mononucleotides Cyd-5'-P, Ado-3'-P, Guo-2'(3')-P, dThd-5'-P and of the four dinucleotides Cyd-P-Cyd, Ado-P-Ado, Guo-P-Urd, and Urd-P-Urd could be separated into eight well-resolved fractions by using a combination Tris-bicarbonate/carbonate buffer system of increasing pH as an eluent. Complete separation was also achieved when a mixture of Ado 3:5'-P, Ado 5'-P, Ado-5'-PP, and Ado-5'-PPP was fractionated on mercurated Sephadex G-25. Again, Tris-bicarbonate/carbonate buffer served as an eluent. Lastly, fractionation can also be performed at a constant pH by offering other suitable ligands, for instance Cl-, that will compete with nucleotides for monofunctional Hg+. The fractionation behavior of mercurated Sephadex G-25 can be fully understood on the basis of the complexing properties of monofunctional Hg+. This has been shown by calculating the net retention volume ratios of several nucleotides with the help of the known interaction parameters of corresponding nucleosides with CH3 HgOH and by comparing the predicted ratios with the experimentally measured ones. Finally, the acid-base properties of mercurated Sephadex G-25 as well as its affinity for chloride and iodide ions have been determined. The data agree quite well with those known for CH3 HgOH.