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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Sequence-specific Labeling of Nucleic Acids and Proteins with Methyltransferases and Cofactor Analogues
Published on: November 22, 2014
Yatakemycin: total synthesis, DNA alkylation, and biological properties
Mark S Tichenor1, Dale L Boger
1Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Abstract:
DNA-binding small molecules are an important source of anticancer therapeutics that display a diverse array of mechanisms of action. Synthetic studies on the new DNA-alkylating natural product yatakemycin, detailed in this Highlight, have served to reassign its structure, assign the absolute stereochemistry, and provide access to yatakemycin and a series of structural analogues for biological evaluation. Studies on the DNA alkylation properties of (+)-and ent-(-)-yatakemycin and related analogues have demonstrated the enhanced DNA alkylation properties of this class of agents and provided insight into their interaction with DNA.
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