THE PREPARATION OF ADENOSINE 5'-PYROPHOSPHATE BY A NON-ENZYMIC METHOD.

1. A non-enzymic method for the preparation of adenosine 5'-diphosphate is described, in which the terminal phosphate of adenosine 5'-triphosphate is transferred to methanol in the presence of hydrochloric acid. The final purified product can be obtained in 60% yield. 2. Experiments with [(14)C]methanol showed that no methylation of the adenosine diphosphate occurs during the reaction. 3. Confirmation that the pyrophosphate moiety of the adenosine diphosphate produced was in the 5'-position was obtained by: (a) periodate oxidation; (b) treatment with apyrase and examination of the resulting adenylic acid isomer by paper chromatography. 4. The method appears to be generally applicable to the preparation of nucleoside 5'-diphosphates from the corresponding nucleoside 5'-triphosphates.