Effect of roentgen-ray radiation on the biosynthesis of nucleic acids and nucleic acid purines

I N A field as confusing as cancer chemot lierapy where agents so heterogeneous as uret ha nc, 11 it roger1 m its t aids, 4-an1 i nopet-oylglutamic acid, 2,6-dianiiiiopuriiic, benzene, potassiuiri arsenitc, and cven roentgcii-ray radiation will producc temporary palliation (in leukemia), it becomes most important to determine if any one biochemical system is uniformly involved.TYe have recently reported that folic acid antagonists profoundly affect nucleic acid synthesis in normal iriicc.9T h e present report is a continuation of the invcstigation of tlie effects of known anticancer agents on nucleic acid metabolism with particular refercncc to roentgen-ray radiation.Hcvesy has observed that rocntgenray radiation inhibits the incorporation of C14 (from carboxy-labeled acetate) into dcsoxyribosenucleic acid (DNA) purines."These rcsults wcrc interpreted as follows: "The observation that the rate of formation of a inain From the Organic and Biochemistry Division, Southern Research Institute, Birmingham, Alabama.