Nogalamycin inhibits ribonucleic acid synthesis in growing and developing cells of the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum.

Nogalamycin, an anthracycline antibiotic that intercalates into deoxyribonucleic acid, is a potent inhibitor of ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis in the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. The antibiotic inhibits RNA synthesis in growing cells and in inactivated spores, and in this way inhibits spore germination. Protein synthesis is much less inhibited. Nogalamycin inhibits ribosomal RNA, transfer RNA, and messenger RNA equally. Polysomes break down in the presence of the drug with a half-life of 220 min, and messenger RNA decays with a half-life of 290 min. The data show that nogalamycin can be employed to inhibit messenger RNA synthesis and is useful in determining messenger RNA decay rates in the slime mold.