MTIC hydrolyseres spontant til 5- amino- imidazol- 4- carboxamid (AIC), et kendt mellemprodukt i purin - og nucleinsyrebiosyntesen, og til methylhydrazin, som menes at være det aktive alkylerende stof.
MTIC is spontaneously hydrolyzed to 5amino-imidazole4carboxamide (AIC), a known intermediate in purine and nucleic acid biosynthesis, and to methylhydrazine, which is believed to be the active alkylating species.