[DNA interaction with low molecular weight ligands of different structure. III. DNA complexes with distactins].

The DNA complexes with distactins have been investigated by means of spectrophotometry, viscosimetry and flow birefringence methods. The distactins are actinocin's derivatives containing in the 1,9 positions of the phenoxazone moiety oligopyrrolcarboxamide groups (like those of distamycin A), which have from one to three fragments of 1-methyl-4-amino-2-pyrrolic acid. The mode of DNA-distactins binding in water solution depends on the quantity of the methylpyrrole rings in the oligopeptide groups. The ligand with oligopeptide groups containing three methylpyrrole rings joins the DNA double helix only from outside by means of oligopeptide groups. The compounds with one and two methylpyrrole rings form two kinds of complexes with DNA: external binding and intercalation. In the latter case both chromophore and methylpyrrole fragments, interact with DNA.