title: Mechanism of action of chounghwamycin A.
abstract: The mechanism of action of chounghwamycin A to tumor cells resembles that of actinomycin D, preferentially inhibiting the synthesis of RNA. The interaction of chounghwamycin A with DNA was studied, and the results indicated that chounghwamycin A could not cause any scission in tested DNA. However, an induced mobility shift of the DNA in agarose gel electrophoresis was observed. When the concentration of chounghwamycin A gradually increased, the migration rate of closed circular form DNA is gradually slowed. At a critical concentration of chounghwamycin A, 15.6 micrograms/ml, the migration rate of closed circular form DNA reaches its minimum value. As more choungwamycin A is added, the mobility of the closed circular DNA increases gradually again, suggesting that the intercalation of chounghwamycin A in DNA is the primary mechanism of its action against tumor cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D002286:Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000187:drug effects; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D007700:Kinetics; D007941:Leukemia P388 / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D004270:DNA, Circular; C049845:chounghwamycin A; D003609:Dactinomycin; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA