Chemotherapeutic Inhibitors of the Enzymes of the de Novo Pyrimidine Pathway

This chapter discusses the chemotherapeutic inhibitors of the enzymes of the de novo pyrimidine pathway. The requirement for pyrimidines is ubiquitously distributed throughout the spectrum of living organisms and can be fulfilled by two synthetic pathways: a de novo and a salvage pathway. Although extensive information is available in the literature on techniques for measuring the activities of the enzymes of the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway, it is the purpose of the present Appendix to evaluate these techniques critically, to suggest improvements and alternative analytical strategies, and to outline means for assessing the concentrations of the substrates or products of the six reactions under consideration in normal as well as neoplastic tissues.