Biochem/physiol Actions
Thymine used in studying DNA structure byirradtaion methods leading to cross-linking reactions and derivitizations. Thymine dimers are indicative of DNA damage. Thymine is used with metal (mercury) to form thymine?HgII?thymine (T?HgII?T) duplexes. Thymine starvation in bacteria leads to halt in DNA synthesis and is referred as thymine-less death.
Purification Methods
Crystallise thymine from EtOAc, 10% aqueous EtOH or water. It has m 318-320o after sublimation at 200o/12mm. Purify it by preparative (2mm thick) TLC plates of silica gel, eluting with ethyl acetate/isopropanol/water (75:16:9, v/v; RF 0.75). The desired spot is localated with a uv lamp, cut the band from the plate, place it in MeOH, shake and filter it through a millipore filter, then evaporate. [Infante et al. J Chem Soc, Faraday Trans 1 68 1586 1973, Beilstein 24 H 353, 24 I 330, 24 II 183, 24 III/IV 1292.]