Chemistry of Guanine and Its Biologically Significant Derivatives

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter explains the chemistry of guanine and its biologically significant derivatives. The position of guanine as an essential component of the genetic material of all living organisms has lent great importance to the study of its chemistry. A number of misconceptions have arisen in the past because of faulty analogies between guanine and benzenoid systems and this has led to the use of incorrect structures, such as enol tautomers and protonated amino groups. There is now at hand a considerable amount of information concerning a number of the transformations of the guanine molecule, but many others are undoubtedly still awaiting discovery. A major challenge is to devise reagents capable of modifying under physiological conditions a single component of the nucleic acids, such as guanine. Such reagents could help in determining base sequences by facilitating or inhibiting specific cleavages, changing enzymatic specificities, or acting as markers visible with the electron microscope. Other reagents might serve as mutagens and be valuable adjuncts to genetic studies.