Inhibition of RNA synthesis in vitro by 9-aminoacridine carboxamide antitumor agents. Effects on overall RNA synthesis and synthesis of the initiating dinucleotide.

A series of 9-aminoacridine carboxamide derivatives of systematically varied structure was assayed in an RNA synthesis in vitro system. Escherichia coli DNA-dependent RNA polymerase and DNA derived from phage T7 or calf thymus were used to measure the effect of the drugs on overall RNA and the initiating dinucleotide (pppApU) syntheses. By means of multiple linear regression analysis it was shown that the inhibition of these reactions depends both on the drug equilibrium binding constant and kinetic parameters of dissociation of drug-DNA complexes.