Abstract
THE alkaloid camptothecin has been shown to be a potent, rapidly acting inhibitor of RNA and DNA synthesis in eukaryotic cells1–5. The drug is selectively active against high molecular weight nuclear RNA synthesis2–5, having no effect on mitochondrial6 or 4–5S RNA synthesis2,5. Its effect on RNA synthesis is rapidly reversible1–3,5. In addition, it has been shown that camptothecin induces alkali-labile links in DNA1,7–9 which are rapidly reversed by removal of the drug9. It was suggested that this action on DNA is responsible for the effect of the drug on RNA synthesis5.
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RUBINSTEIN, L., REIN, A. Effect of camptothecin on simian virus 40 DNA. Nature 248, 226–228 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/248226a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/248226a0
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