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¹ Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; ² Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and the Purdue Cancer Center, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana; and ³ deCODE Biostructures, Inc., Bainbridge Island, Washington

Requests for reprints: Yves Pommier, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Building 37, Room 5068, Bethesda, MD 20892-4255. Phone: 301-496-5944; Fax: 301-402-0752. E-mail: pommier{at}nih.gov

We show that five topoisomerase I inhibitors (two indenoisoquinolines, two camptothecins, and one indolocarbazole) each intercalate between the base pairs flanking the cleavage site generated during the topoisomerase I catalytic cycle and are further stabilized by a network of hydrogen bonds with topoisomerase I. The interfacial inhibition paradigm described for topoisomerase I inhibitors can be generalized to a variety of natural products that trap macromolecular complexes as they undergo catalytic conformational changes that create hotspots for drug binding. Stabilization of such conformational states results in uncompetitive inhibition and exemplifies the relevance of screening for ligands and drugs that stabilize ("trap") these macromolecular complexes. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(2):287–95]

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Received 11/ 3/05; accepted 12/16/05.