Final answer:
Thymidine monophosphate (TMP) is formed through a series of biochemical reactions. Cultured cells incorporate radioactive thymine into thymidine triphosphate (dTTP) and then into DNA.
Nucleoside triphosphates combine with each other through phosphodiester bonds to form the sugar-phosphate backbone of the DNA strand. Uridylate is converted to TMP along with other nucleotide monophosphates.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thymidine monophosphate (TMP) is formed through a series of biochemical reactions. Firstly, cultured cells are incubated with ³H-thymine, a radioactive base that cells will incorporate into thymidine triphosphate (dTTP), and then into DNA.
The nucleoside triphosphates combine with each other through phosphodiester bonds to form the sugar-phosphate backbone of the DNA strand. During this process, deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTP) are used and the two terminal phosphates are released as a pyrophosphate.
The resulting strand of nucleic acid has a free phosphate group at the 5' carbon end and a free hydroxyl group at the 3' carbon end.
Finally, uridylate is converted to thymidine monophosphate (TMP) along with cytidine monophosphate (CMP) and uridine monophosphate (UMP).