Inhibition of heterochromatin condensation of human Y chromosome by distamycin-A.

Distamycin-A, an oligopeptide antibiotic with a N-methylpyrrole ring system and propionamide side chain, preferentially forms stable bonds with AT rich double stranded DNA. When introduced to cell cultures, it inhibits condensation of the heterochromatic region of the Y chromosome. The frequency of metaphases showing inhibition of heterochromatin condensation of the Y chromosome was found to be dependent on the treatment time and concentration of distamycin-A in the culture medium. When distamycin-A was added to a concentration of 100 micrograms/ml at the start of the culture (72 hours), the frequency of Y heterochromatin decondensation was found to be 48%, 30% and 6% in amniotic fluid, lymphocyte and fibroblast cultures respectively. The highest frequency of metaphases with decondensed Y heterochromatin were observed when distamycin-A treatment was carried out for the last 24 hours prior to harvest, the frequencies being 94%, 72% and 59% in amniotic fluid, lymphocyte and fibroblast cultures respectively. Increase in the concentration of distamycin-A from 25 micrograms/ml to 50 micrograms/ml during the last 24 hours of culture increased the incidence of metaphases with Y heterochromatin decondensation from 51% to 69% in amniotic fluid, 40 to 49% in lymphocyte and 29% to 31% in fibroblast cultures. Highest frequency of metaphases with Y heterochromatin decondensation were observed when the cultures were exposed to distamycin-A at a concentration of 100 micrograms/ml for the last 24 hours of culture.