抄録
Ribavirin (l-β-D-ribofuranosyl-l, 2, 4-triazole-3-carboxamide; Virazole®), which is known as a potent antiviral agent, was synthesized directly from purine nucleosides and l, 2, 4-triazole-3-carboxamide (TCA) by a newly selected bacterium, Brevibacterium acetylicum ATCC 954. Among the purine nucleosides tested, guanosine and xanthosine were selected as the best substrates as to ribavirin production. The highest amount of ribavirin produced was 229 mM from 300 mM guanosine and 300 mM TCA on 96 hr reaction at 60°C. In this system involving ATCC 954, ribavirin was effectively even produced at a limited concentration of phosphate (about 10mM). ATCC 954 could also produce ribavirin directly from inosine and TCA in a high yield, but could hardly produce it directly from adenosine and TCA. In contrast, a bacterium belonging to the genus, Bacillus, could produce ribarivin directly from adenosine and TCA in a high yield.
