Biosynthesis of pyrrolopyrimidines

Pyrrolopyrimidine containing compounds, also known as 7-deazapurines, are a collection of purine-based metabolites that have been isolated from a variety of biological sources and have diverse functions which range from secondary metabolism to RNA modification. To date, nearly 35 compounds with the common 7-deazapurine core structure have been described. This article will illustrate the structural diversity of these compounds and review the current state of knowledge on the biosynthetic pathways that give rise to them.

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► GTP is a precursor to all known 7-deazapurines.
► 7-Deazapurines are widely distributed in all kingdoms of life.
► Biosynthetic pathways for 7-deazapurines include several novel transformations.