[Definition]
A natural antibiotic produced by a Streptomyces
strain. Discovered in Japan in the 1950s, it has
strong antitumor potential, though its toxicity may
preclude medical use. It is a member of the so-called
bis-intercalator group of antibiotics that act by inter-
locking between the nucleotide bases of DNA; thus,
it may have mutagenic activity. The molecule con-
tains carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen. The
structure was elucidated in 1982.
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