A new pyrimidine, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (HMC) (1, 2), has been isolated from bacterial viruses of the T even type, which multiply in Escherichia coli. Deoxyriboside (3) and deoxyribotide (4) derivatives from this source have also been described. These components are not present in appreciable quantities in the nucleic acids of E. coli or of other cells, or in any other virus analyzed to date....

Studies with Mycobacterium and Corynebacterium, which metabolize pyrimidines via the oxidative pathway (l-5), have revealed that the first product of thymine catabolism is 5-methylbarbituric acid. The metabolic fate of 5-methylbarbituric acid remains to be elucidated. Work in this laboratory has shown that 5-methylbarbituric acid supports growth of Corynebacterium and is rapidly metabolized by ...

In presenting pyrimi-dine metabolism, most modern biochemistry texts contain a figure describing metabolism in bacterial cells and the alternative in animal cells. For plant biochemists, this discrepancy is disconcerting. Admittedly, py-rimidine metabolism has been largely overlooked in plants in favor of more glamorous endeavors. However, the importance of pyrimidines to almost all aspects of ...

Some novel annulated pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines 6 and 7 were synthesized stereoselectively by intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder reactions involving 1-oxa-1,3-butadienes.