Regulation of the Cupric Ion-catalyzed Oxidation of Aromatic Reductones by Nucleic Acid Components

Abstract

Regulative action of nucleic acid components on the oxidation of aromatic reductones such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine, dopa and pyrocatechol in the presence of Cu²⁺ ion was investigated and the following results were obtained.
1. On the oxidation of noradrenaline in the presence of Cu²⁺ ion, adenine and guanine showed the most remarkable stimulative effect among the nucleic acid components examined, followed by cytosine, guanosine, cytidine, CMP and cyclic AMP. The promoting activity of thymine, adenosine, thymidine, GMP and AMP were relatively weak.
2. Among the bases tested, adenine greatly accelerated the oxidation of every aromatic reductones. Cytosine was effective on adrenaline and noradrenaline. Thymine showed a weak effect on noradrenaline but no effect on the other reductones.
3. It is now shown that cyclic AMP accelerated the oxidation of adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine with Cu²⁺ ion, and ATP supressed the oxidation of these aromatic reductones with Cu²⁺ ion. From the reverse properties of both nucleotides on the oxidation of reductones, it can possibly be suggested that in the formation of cyclic AMP from ATP by adenyl cyclase activated with the stimulation of catecholamine, cyclic AMP may be produced under the negative feed back in the presence of Cu²⁺ ion.