Distamycin Antineoplastic Antibiotic

**Semantic type:** Chemical Viewed Functionally

**Definition:** An antineoplastic antibiotic isolated from the bacterium Streptomyces distallicus. Distamycin antibiotics bind to the minor groove of DNA, preferentially to adenine-thymine (A-T) rich sequences, thereby inhibiting DNA replication and RNA transcription. In addition to their antitumor effects, these agents possess antiviral and antiprotozoal activities.

**Synonyms:** - Distamycins