Mechanistic aspects of DNA damage by morpholinyl and cyanomorpholinyl anthracyclines

Morpholino and cyanomorpholino derivatives of the anthracycline antitumor antibiotics, Adriamycin and daunomycin, differ from their parent compounds in potency, cross-resistance and other biological properties. We therefore investigated the DNA interactions of several derivatives of ADM and DNM, including iminomorpholinoadriamycin, oxazolicyanomorpholinoadriamycin, and cyanomethyladriamycin. This work complements previous studies on morpholinodaunomycin, morpholinoadriamycin, and cyanomorpholinoadriamycin.