Vitamin B4 (Adenine)

3D illustration of DNA with adenine bases highlighted
Adenine, once called vitamin B4, is one of the four bases of DNA and RNA
Infographic: adenine in DNA and RNA, ATP and coenzymes
Adenine is a base of DNA and RNA and the nitrogen-rich core of ATP, NAD, NADP, FAD and coenzyme A
Liver, yeast flakes, lentils and peas on dark wood
The body makes adenine itself; it is also present in all foods built from cells

"Vitamin B4" is the historical name for adenine, one of the four nitrogenous bases that make up DNA and RNA and the nitrogen-rich core of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), NAD, NADP, FAD and coenzyme A. In the 1930s adenine was provisionally classed as a B-complex vitamin; within a decade that classification was withdrawn, because human cells make their own adenine through the de novo purine pathway. The B4 label was dropped, leaving a gap in the B-vitamin numbering. The name has also been applied to other compounds over the years, most often choline, which has its own page on this site.

Vitamin B4 Articles

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Vitamin B4 (Adenine) — Benefits Deep Dive

Adenine in cellular energy and ATP, DNA and RNA synthesis, purine metabolism, and its modern status and food sources, in four deep-dive pages.

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Vitamin B4: History and Discovery

How the B4 label was assigned around 1929–1930, why adenine came to carry it, and why the designation was dropped.

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Connections

Vitamin B4 — scientific infographic poster