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Some divalent metal ions mediated in phosphodiester bond formation from adenosione-5′-phosphorimidazolide (ImpA) and glycolic acid or lactic acid giving glycolyl adenylate or lactyl adenylate. The effect of divalent metal ions on this reaction was in the order: Pb2+>Ni2+>Co2+>Zn2+>Cu2+>Mn2+>Ca2+>Mg2+>none>Hg2+. The metal ions promoted the reaction orienting the substrates and increasing the nucleophilicity of the hydroxy group of α-hydroxy acid by coordination. On the other hand, very little or no phosphodiester bond formation took place from ImpA and 3-hydroxypropionic acid or 4-hydroxybutyric acid in the presence of metal ions.
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Hiroaki Sawai (1990) studied this question.
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