Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Echinomycin: a bifunctional intercalating antibiotic

Nature volume 252, pages 653–657 (1974)Cite this article

Abstract

The interaction between echinomycin and circular DNA or sonicated rod-like DNA fragments shows that this antibiotic binds by a bifunctional mode of intercalation. Binding parameters for a variety of natural and synthetic DNAs vary widely, indicating that echinomycin interacts selectively with specific nucleotide sequences.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sobell, H. M., Jain, S. C., Sakore, T. D., and Nordman, C. E., Nature new Biol., 231, 200–205 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Gilbert, W., and Maxam, A., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 70, 3581–3584 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Maniatis, T., Ptashne, M., Barrell, B. G., and Donelson, J., Nature, 250, 394–397 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Barrell, B. G., and Clark, B. F. C., Handbook of Nucleic Acid Sequences, 95–101 (Joynson-Bruvvers, Oxford, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Loewen, P. C., Sekiya, T., and Khorana, H. G., J. Biol. Chem., 249, 217–226 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Corbaz, R., Ettlinger, L., Gäumann, E., Keller-Schierlein, W., Kradolfer, F., Neipp, L., Prelog, V., Reusser, P., and Zähner, H., Helv. Chim. Acta, 40, 199–204 (1957).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Keller-Schierlein, W., Mihailovic, M. Lj., and Prelog, V., Helv. Chim. Acta, 42, 305–322 (1959).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ward, D. C., Reich, E., and Goldberg, I. H., Science, 149, 1259–1263 (1965).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Sato, K., Shiratori, O., and Katagiri, K., J. Antibiotics (Tokyo), Ser. A., 20, 270–276 (1967).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Waring, M., and Makoff, A., Mol. Pharmacol, 10, 214–224 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Katagiri, K., Yoshida, T., and Sato, K., in Antibiotics. III. Mechanism of Action of Antimicrobial and Antitumor Agents, (edit. by Corcoran, J. W., and Hahn, F. E.), (Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Gellert, M., Smith, C. E., Neville, D., and Felsenfeld, G., J. molec. Biol., 11, 445–457 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Müller, W., and Crothers, D. M., J. molec. Biol., 35, 251–290 (1968).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. O'Brien, R. L., Allison, J. L., and Hahn, F. E., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 129, 622–624 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Waring, M. J., J. molec. Biol., 54, 247–279 (1970); Sandoz Symp. Drug-receptor Interactions in Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, Vienna, September 1974, (Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, in the press).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Cohen, G., and Eisenberg, H., Biopolymers, 8, 45–55 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Davidson, N., J. molec. Biol., 66, 307–309 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Fuller, W., and Waring, M. J., Ber. Bunsenges. Physik. Chem., 68, 805–808 (1964).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Waring, M. J., in The Molecular Basis of Antibiotic Action (edit. by Gale E. F., Cundliffe, E., Reynolds, P. E., Richmond, M. H., and Waring, M. J.), 173–277 (Wiley, London, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Reinert, K. E., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 319, 135–139 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Bauer, W., and Vinograd, J., J. molec. Biol., 33, 141–172 (1968); J. molec. Biol., 47, 419–435 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Zasedatelev, A. S., Gurskii, G. V., and Vol 'kenshtein, M. V., Mol. Biol. (Russian), 5, 194–198 (1971).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Wells, R. D., and Wartell, R. M., in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (edit. by Burton, K.), (Butterworths, London, in the press).

  24. Wells, R. D., and Larson, J. E., J. molec. Biol., 49, 319–342 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Wakelin, L. P. G., and Waring, M. J., Mol. Pharmacol., 10, 544–561 (1974).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Otsuka, H., and Shoji, J., Tetrahedron, 21, 2931–2938 (1965); J. Antibiotics (Tokyo), Ser. A., 19, 128–131 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Waring, M. J., Nature, 219, 1320–1325 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Bram, S., Nature new Biol., 232, 174–176 (1971); Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 70, 2167–2170 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Crothers, D. M., Biopolymers, 6, 575–584 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Pyeritz, R., Schlegel, R., and Thomas, C. A., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 272, 504–509 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Espejo, R. T., Canelo, E. S., and Sinsheimer, R. L., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 63, 1164–1168 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Dell, A., Williams, D. H., Morris, H. R., Smith, G. A., Feeney, J., and Roberts, G. C. K., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (in the press).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QD, UK

    M. J. Waring & L. P. G. Wakelin

Authors
  1. M. J. Waring
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. P. G. Wakelin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Waring, M., Wakelin, L. Echinomycin: a bifunctional intercalating antibiotic. Nature 252, 653–657 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/252653a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/252653a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing