The interaction of a 9-aminoacridine derivative with nucleic acids and nucleoproteins.

The reversible interaction of a 9-aminoacridine derivative with the ribonucleic acid of yeast was reported in a preliminary paper (1). The present report is concerned with a study of the binding of 2-methoxy-6-chloro-9(l’-methyl-8’-diethylaminooctylamino)acridine (SN-12868)’ by the nucleoprotein and desoxypentose nucleic acid of beef spleen, and additional data are presented for the interaction of this compound with yeast ribonucleic acid. These interactions are typical of the general reversible combination of 9-aminoacridines with nucleic acids and nucleoproteins. Such interactions are of interest not only from the standpoint of their possible relationship to the distribution in tissues and to the pharmacologic activity of these compounds but also because they provide a plausible explanation for the effect of the ribonucleic acid in blocking the inhibition by acridines of the growth of certain bacteria (3, 4), yeast (5), and bacterial viruses (6-8). Such interactions also may be involved in the staining and retardation in viva of tumors in mice by acridine derivatives (9). In addition, interactions of this type can be applied in the study of some of the properties of nucleic acids and nucleoproteins.