Single Biggest Cancer Dictionary in the World

What is

dactinomycin

?

Pronunciation: /dactinomycin*/

dactinomycin

Definition

A chromopeptide antineoplastic antibiotic isolated from the bacterium Streptomyces parvulus. Dactinomycin intercalates between adjacent guanine-cytosine base pairs, blocking the transcription of DNA by RNA polymerase; it also causes single-strand DNA breaks, possibly via a free-radical intermediate or an interaction with topoisomerase II.