5-Diazo-4-oxo-L-norvaline: reactive asparagine analog with biological specificity.

The L-asparagine analog, 5-diazo-4-oxo-L-norvaline, specifically inactivates L-asparaginase and inhibits the growth of L-asparagine-dependent or L-asparaginase-sensitive tumor cells in culture. With 5-(14)C-labeled compound, a biphasic incorporation into sensitive cells occurs, but the inhibition of cell multiplication is manifest much later than the rapid phase of incorporation of the analog.