Synthesis and characterization of diastereomers of guanosine 5'-O-(1-thiotriphosphate) and guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiotriphosphate)

The synthesis and characterization of guanosine 5'-O-(1-thiotriphosphate) (GTP alpha S) and guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiotriphosphate) (GTP beta S) using chemical and enzymatic methods are described. GTP alpha S A (SP diastereomer) can be prepared enzymatically from a chemically synthesized mixture of the diastereomers of guanosine 5'-O-(1-thiodiphosphate) (GDP alpha S) with phosphoglycerate kinase. GTP alpha S B (RP diastereomer) can be similarly synthesized with succinyl-CoA synthetase and by back-digesting the small amounts of GTP alpha S A formed with phosphoglycerate kinase. Guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDP beta S) serves as the precursor for both GTP beta S A (SP diastereomer), prepared with pyruvate kinase and by back-digesting with glycerol kinase, and GTP beta S B (RP diastereomer), obtained with acetate kinase and by back-digesting with myosin. These analogues can be gamma-32P labeled by 32Pi exchange with either phosphoglycerate kinase-phosphoglyceraldehyde dehydrogenase or succinyl-CoA synthetase. Finally, the interaction of these four nucleotides with acetate kinase, RNA polymerase, and succinyl-CoA synthetase is described.