The interaction of copper(II) with inosine, 2'-deoxyinosine, 1-methylinosine, 7-deazainosine, 6-methoxypurine riboside and IMP was examined. 2. Copper binds with the purine base of the nucleosides, and in IMP also with the phosphate group. Non interaction with ribose hydroxyl groups was observed. 3. In non-aqueous medium, the main site of copper binding is N-7 of inosine and 1-methylinosine, and additionally N-1 in 6-methoxypurine riboside. 4. In aqueous medium, coordination of copper with N-1 and N-7 of inosine and IMP is pH-dependent. 5. Formation of either a five-membered copper chelate with N-7 and oxygen at C-6, or a four-membered chelate of the type C(6)-O-Cu-N(1), is rather unlikely. 6. The crystalline copper-IMP complex [Cu(C10H11O8N4P).(H2O)] contains presumably two copper atoms coordinated in different manner. The phosphate group and N-7, but not the carbonyl oxygen, participate in the complex formation.
