Immunological cross-reactivities of various anthracycline antibiotics against aclacinomycin A antisera.

Aclacinomycin A (ACM) antisera were obtained from the rabbits immunized with 4"'-deoxo-4"'-(R)-amino-ACM- or N,N-didemethyl-ACM-bovine serum albumin conjugate, and their immunoreactivities were tested with ACM-related anthracyclines. It was found that the binding ability with the ACM antisera was markedly decreased by the following structural changes in ACM: N,N-didemethylation of the rhodosamine moiety; 6-O- or 4-O-methylation; removal of the methoxycarbonyl group at C-10; hydroxylation at C-1, C-2 or C-11. It was less affected by some alterations in a side chain at C-9 or by deglycosidation of the terminal mono or disaccharide. The binding of the aglycone (aklavinone) was very weak.