Home > Community > Why does Diphenylamine only react with the deoxyribose of purines?
Upvote

21

Downvote
+ Dna
+ Biochemistry
Posted by
Adam Smith

Why does Diphenylamine only react with the deoxyribose of purines?

Bill Nugent  Follow

As you have correctly stated, the DNA cannot directly react with diphenylamine. First, it has to be cleaved so that the deoxyribose is exposed. In acidic solution and at high temperature, a depurination occurs several orders of magnitude faster than depyrimidination, because N-7 of the purine can be protonated and assist the cleavage.

See this mechanism of the acid-catalyzed depurination:

Acid-catalyzed depurination

More

Upvote

VOTE

Downvote