Stallimycin is an oligopeptide antineoplastic antibiotic isolated from the bacterium Streptomyces distallicus. Distamycin preferentially binds to adenine-thymine (A-T) rich sequences in the minor groove of DNA, thereby inhibiting DNA replication and RNA transcription. In addition to antitumor effects, distamycin also possesses antiviral and antiprotozoal activities and is used as a chromosome dye. (NCI04)