Kinamycin-mediated DNA cleavage under biomimetic conditions

The kinamycins are biologically active secondary metabolites characterized by an uncommon diazobenzo[b]fluorene skeleton. Kinamycin D has been shown to potently cleave DNA under mild biomimetic conditions. Use of the endogenously abundant reductant glutathione at 570 mu M, kinamycin D effectively cleaved DNA in a concentration, temperature, and time-dependent fashion. Dithiothreitol also proved effective at low concentration while other reductants failed to induce DNA cleavage. Mechanistic consequences of the DNA cleavage results are described. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.