Actinomycin D Inhibition of Deoxyribonucleic Acid-Dependent Synthesis of Ribonucleic Acid

Minute amounts of actinomycin D inhibit the synthesis of ribonucleic acid by nuclear extracts of HeLa cells in a ribonucleic acid-synthesizing system that is dependent on deoxyribonucleic acid and requires the presence of all four ribonucleoside triphosphates. The inhibition can be reversed by adding deoxyribonucleic acid to the enzymatic reaction. These findings support the work of others on the mode of action of actinomycin D in vivo.