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. 1999 Feb;47(2):131–143. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2125.1999.00884.x

Figure 5.

Figure 5

Cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) metabolism. Deamination to uracil arabinoside (Ara-U) and the formation of the intracellular nucleotides cytosine arabinoside mono-, di-and tri-phosphates and arabinofuranosyl-uridine monophosphate (Ara-CMP, Ara-CDP, Ara-CTP and Ara-UMP, respectively), analogues of the endogenous deoxynucleotides. The deamination of Ara-C is catalysed by (deoxy)cytidine deaminase and Ara-CMP by dCMP deaminase. The formation of Ara-CMP is catalysed by (deoxy)cytidine kinase. Subsequent phosphorylation of the monophosphate proceeds by nucleoside monophosphate kinase (1) and nucleoside diphosphate kinase (2).