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Structure-dependant models of intercalation with DNA and base-pair oligonucleotides are presented at the molecular level for some cytostatic agents. The application of these procedures is interesting to teacher and student in that they provide rational foundation for the development of new intercalating drugs.

It is known that DNA is a well-characterized intracellular target but its size and sequential characteristics make it an elusive target for selective drug action. Binding of low molecular weight ligands to DNA causes a variety of significant biological responses. In this context the main consideration is given to recent developments in DNA sequence selective binding agents bearing conjugated effectors because of their potential application in treatment of cancers, in diagnosis as well as in molecular biology. In the present review recent results about analogues of netropsins, distamycin A and of some lexitropsins and combilexins or related hybrid molecules with sequence reading, intercalating or alkylating activity are described and evaluated for prospective applications. Furthermore there exists DNA minor groove binder with different basic structures which does not possess the typical polyamide chain, including dimeric intercalating chromophores. Finally new results about peptide nucleic acids and related nucleic acid bases linked with polyamides are reported. In pronounced examples the structural chemistry, synthesis, DNA binding with several biophysical methods, molecular aspects, structure activity relationship, topoisomerase inhibition, antitumour and antibacterial effects are discussed in detail.

New struotilral aspects of vinylindoles for predicting the outcome of Diels-Alder reactions are presented for the first time. Novel, mostly regio-and stereoselective oycloaddition reactions with 3-and 2vinylindoles are described briefly and, in some cases, new applications for the syntheses of alkaloids are discussed.

lndolo[2,3-a]carbazoles, their pyrrolo[3,4-c]anellated variants and structurally closely related bisindolylmaleimides represent a biologically highly interesting class of natural compounds which are potential anticancer agents. According to the ongoing literature new and efficient synthetic methods yield a great variety of these compounds which have been reported in detail. The biological activities and the inhibitory activities against the target enzymes protein kinase C and topoisomerase I are also discussed including structure activity relationships. A molecular binding model of the protein kinase C inhibitors with the target enzyme at the atomic level is presented and supported by X-ray crystallographic structures and by molecular modelling studies.

The synthetically interesting processes available for indolization reactions are discussed and illustrated in tabular form and particular emphasis is placed on the more recent methods.

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