Two-Mechanism Model for the Interaction of Etoposide Quinone with Topoisomerase IIα.

Topoisomerase II is an essential nuclear enzyme involved in regulating DNA topology to facilitate replication and cell division. Disruption of topoisomerase II function by chemotherapeutic agents is in use as an effective strategy to fight cancer. Etoposide is an anticancer therapeutic that disrupts the catalytic cycle of topoisomerase II and stabilizes enzyme-bound DNA strand breaks.