YELLOW-BEIGE CRYSTALLINE POWDER
Pterin is used in the biosynthesis and metabolism of tetrahydrobiopterin and molybdopterin.
ChEBI: 2-aminopteridin-4-ol is a 2-amino-4-hydroxypteridine. It is a tautomer of a 2-aminopteridin-4(3H)-one and a 2-aminopteridin-4(1H)-one.
Pterine consists of pyrazine and pyrimidine with substitutions in keto and amino group. Pterine is present in all organisms including cyanobacteria. It acts as a cofactor for redox enzymes and serves as a precursor for folic acid synthesis. Pterine from the butterfly wings absorb light and elicit incoherent scattering. Pterine induces alterations in DNA by hydroxylation of deoxyguanosine.
It is dissolved in hot 1% aqueous ammonia, filtered, and an equal volume of hot 1M aqueous formic acid is added. The solution is allowed to cool at 0-2o overnight. The solid is collected and washed with distilled water several times by centrifugation and dried in vacuo over P2O5 overnight, and then at 100o overnight (any ammonium formate in the sample evaporates off). [Beilstein 26 III/IV 3936.]
