Chartreusin is a Streptomyces-derived chromoglycoside antibiotic that binds GC-rich DNA and is used in antitumor research.
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Chartreusin is an aromatic chromoglycoside polyketide antibiotic originally isolated from Streptomyces chartreusis. It selectively binds GC-rich regions of B-DNA, inhibits RNA synthesis, and induces oxidative single-strand DNA scission. These DNA-directed effects result in antiproliferative activity and have driven development of semi-synthetic derivatives with improved pharmacokinetics. Chartreusin remains a valuable mechanistic probe for studying transcription inhibition and DNA-damage-mediated cytotoxicity.