Anti-cancer activity of anthracycline antibiotics and DNA condensation.
Light scattering techniques were used to investigate the ability of a number of anthracyclines to cause compaction in double-stranded DNA and nucleosomes at physiological ionic strength. The structurally organized polynucleotide was efficiently condensed by all of the drugs examined, while no appreciable aggregation of free double-stranded DNA is observed under the same experimental conditions. A model for the process is proposed. Our results suggest the lack of a direct relationship between the critical concentration of free drug at which condensation of DNA occurs and the cytotoxic and anti-cancer properties exhibited by the various anthracycline derivatives.
Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Padova, Italy.
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D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000378:metabolism; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000378:metabolism; D008027:Light; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D004317:Doxorubicin; D004247:DNA; D003630:Daunorubicin