Thymineless death

Thymineless death is the phenomenon by which bacteria, yeasts and mammalian cells undergo irreversible cell death when they are starved of thymidine triphosphate (dTTP), an essential precursor for DNA replication. This phenomenon underlies the mechanism of action of several antibacterial, antimalarial and anticancer agents, such as Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole, Methotrexate and Fluorouracil.