INHIBITION OF PROKARYOTIC AND EUKARYOTIC TRANSCRIPTION BY THE 2 1 2,9-DIMETHYL-1,10-PHENANTHROLINE-CUPROUS COMPLEX, A LIGAND SPECIFIC FOR OPEN COMPLEXES/

The redox-stable, tetrahedral cuprous chelate of neocuproine (2,9-dime thyl-1,10-phenanthroline) binds to the single-stranded DNA formed in o pen complexes and is an effective inhibitor of eukaryotic and prokaryo tic transcription. Despite the many kinetic and structural differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic transcription systems, they are al l similarly inhibited by neocuproine copper, suggesting that all open complexes may share a homologous structure.