Biochemical pharmacology of cytosine arabinoside

Abstract

Cytosine arabinoside (Ara‐C) is a very potent inhibitor of DNA synthesis in mammalian cells. This inhibition does not appear to be due to the direct inhibition of DNA polymerase by Ara‐CTP (triphosphate of Ara‐C) because it is a very weak competitive inhibitor of this enzyme. The inhibition of DNA synthesis appears to be due to the incorporation of Ara‐C into DNA producing chain termination of polydeoxynucleotide elongation. Copyright © 1982 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company