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Science 29 November 1963:
Vol. 142. no. 3596, pp. 1181 - 1183
DOI: 10.1126/science.142.3596.1181
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Articles

Mitomycin C: Chemical and Biological Studies on Alkylation

Herbert S. Schwartz 1, J. E. Sodergren 1, and F. S. Philips 1

1 Division of Experimental Chemotherapy, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York 21

The presence of an aziridine ring in mitomycin C suggests that the mechanism of action of the antibiotic is like that of the antitumor alkylating agents. However the compound is unexpectedly stable during aerobic incubation with rat liver homogenates although rapidly metabolized anaerobically. Mitomycin is not reactive with ggr-(4-nitrobenzyl) pyridine and reacts only slowly at acid pH with thiosulfate. It is proposed that mitomycin is activated in vivo, possibly by a reduction which "unmasks" the potential activity of the fused aziridine ring.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Phenethyl Alcohol Synergism with Mitomycin C, Porfiromycin, and Streptonigrin.
J. R. White and H. L. White (1964)
Science 145, 1312-1313
   Abstract »    PDF »
Mitomycins and Porfiromycin: Chemical Mechanism of Activation and Cross-linking of DNA.
V. N. Iyer and W. Szybalski (1964)
Science 145, 55-58
   Abstract »    PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)