Chemical Conversion of Ribonucleoside 5′-S-Methyl Phosphorothiolates into Ribonucleotide Anhydrides Including Adenosine 5′-Triphosphate and Uridine Diphosphate Glucose

Ribonucleotide anhydrides have been prepared from corresponding ribonucleoside 5′-S-methyl phosphorothiolates by demethylthiolation with iodine in dry pyridine at room temperature in the presence of appropriate phosphates such as inorganic orthophosphate, inorganic pyrophosphate or glucose 1-phosphate. Thus synthesis of ribonucleotide anhydrides have been achieved and three ribonucleoside 5′-triphosphates (ATP, CTP and UTP), three ribonucleoside 5′-diphosphates (ADP, CDP and UDP) and a pyrophosphate coenzyme (UDPG) have been synthesized and isolated as lithium salts by charcoal treatment followed by ion exchange chromatography.