EFFECTS OF ANTHRACYCLINE ANTIBIOTIC, DAUNOMYCIN ON THYMUS CHROMATIN -THE ROLE OF CHROMOSOMAL-PROTEINS

1. We have examined the effect of antitumour antibiotic daunomycin on calf thymus chromatin employing u.v./vis spectroscopic arid hydrodynam ic techniques. The experiments were undertaken to determine the influe nce of added drug on DNA-protein complex. 2. The results show that the binding of drug to chromatin is dose dependent and a DNA to drug rati o below 1:100 leaves small oligonucleotides in the supernatant, howeve r, at higher ratios chromatin occurs aggregation. 3. Analysis of both the proteins and DNA reveals that daunomycin induces chromatin condens ation by cross linking between its components suggesting that chromoso mal proteins play a significant role in this process.