The peculiar binding properties of 4'-deoxy,4'-iododoxorubicin to isolated DNA and 175 bp nucleosomes.

The thermodynamic parameters governing the interaction of 4'-deoxy,4'-iododoxorubicin (4'-IAM) to double stranded DNA or 175 bp nucleosomes have been evaluated at different ionic strength and temperature conditions by means of fluorescence techniques. The iodo-anthracycline exhibits quite different characteristics from the parent compounds adriamycin (AM) and daunomycin (DM) and other second generation derivatives. In fact, the contribution of electrostatic interactions to the total free energy of binding is rather poor and the changes in enthalpy, usually high and negative, are low and eventually positive. Unlike other members of its family, 4'-IAM exhibits preference for the nucleosomal structure. In addition, its binding to isolated DNA is remarkably cooperative. Circular dichroism studies show changes in the geometry of the intercalation complex when the drug binds to nucleosomes. The possibility for the iodo-sugar moiety to act as an alkylating or free-radical producing species was also considered as an alternative mechanism of action. However, no evidence was obtained to support these hypotheses. Thus the major differences observed in DNA-binding in comparison to parent anthracyclines appear to be mostly related to the lower pKa and higher lipophilicity exhibited by 4'-IAM.