NCIt definition : A synthetic cytidine analogue and a cytidine deaminase inhibitor with anticancer activity.
Following metabolic activation by phosphorylation and incorporation into DNA, zebularine
inhibits DNA methyltransferase through covalent complex formation between the enzyme
and zebularine-substituted DNA, hence resulting in non-specific, genome-wide induction
of demethylation including the removal of aberrant methylation of promoter regions
of genes critical for normal cellular functions.;