title: 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.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002474:Cell-Free System; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D019384:Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors
chemical_list: D019384:Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; D003561:Cytarabine; D004247:DNA