NCIt definition : An oligopeptide antineoplastic antibiotic isolated from the bacterium Streptomyces
distallicus. Distamycin preferentially binds to adenine-thymine (A-T) rich sequences
in the minor groove of DNA, thereby inhibiting DNA replication and RNA transcription.
In addition to antitumor effects, distamycin also possesses antiviral and antiprotozoal
activities and is used as a chromosome dye. (NCI04);