Relative toxicities of DNA cross-links and monoadducts: new insights from studies of decarbamoyl mitomycin C and mitomycin C.

Mitomycin C (MC), a cytotoxic anticancer drug and bifunctional DNA DNA alkylating agent, induces cross-linking of the complementary strands of DNA. The DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs) are thought to be the critical cytotoxic lesions produced by MC. Decarbamoyl mitomycin C (DMC) has been regarded as a monofunctional mitomycin, incapable of causing ICLs.