摘要: A family of compounds which appear to bind reversibly double stranded DNA without intercalation between base pairs has been defined. Methods are described by this non-intercalative binding can be characterised using ultraviolet spectrometry, fluorimetry with ethidium as a probe, viscometry and other hydrodynamic techniques, circular dichroism nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Antibiotics fall into include the antibiotics distamycin A, netropsin, mithramycin, chromomycin olivomycin. Synthetic antitumour agents diarylamidines such berenil, phthalanilides, aromatic bisguanylhydrazones bisquaternary ammonium heterocycles. survey made general requirements for biological activity. Binding drugs minor groove helix appears most likely mechanism action these compounds.