The Separation of Purine and Pyrimidine Bases and of Nucleotides by Ion Exchange

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Abstract
Methods are described for the separation of each of the purine and pyrimidine bases and the ribose nucleotides. Cytosine, guanine and adenine exist as cations in solns. of pH 4 and are able to combine with cation exchangers. They were eluted successively with HC1 or NaCl. The non-ionized bases, thymine and uracil, as well as the other 3 substances may be separated by resorting to anion exchangers and alkaline solns. Essentially quantitative recoveries were made by both procedures, based on spectrophotometric absorption in the ultraviolet (260-265 m[mu].). Identification of components was made by the shape of the u.-v. absorption curve and by partition chromatography. It was possible to effect practical separations up to nearly 100 mg. amts. on the same size columns.