In order to mimic recognition properties of adenylate kinase, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were prepared for adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), a substrate of the enzyme. Different functional monomers interacting with the phosphate moiety were tested, and the MIP giving the best specific binding of AMP was composed with one equivalent of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate and ten equivalents of acrylamide compared to AMP. Packed into solid phase cartridge, this polymer showed similar characteristics than the enzyme, since it was specific for AMP toward other nucleotides.