Auxotrophism

The ability of most antitumor agents to act on the synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids extends to microbe cells, but sometimes it is manifested only under conditions of auxotrophism of microbes for the same metabolites that the preparations antagonize and of restriction on the number of these metabolites in the medium.

This disorder is the best and virtually the only human example of auxotrophism for a biosynthetic intermediate.

Auxotrophism for thymidine was demonstrated in six SCVs.