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Phleomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic from Streptomyces whose cytotoxic action results from its ability to cause DNA fragmentation. The ability of phleomycin to block mammalian cells from entering mitosis has made it useful in cancer therapy, most commonly in conjunction with other therapeutic modalities. Phleomycin is also used, in conjunction with a vector carrying the bleomycin resistance protein ble, as a selective agent in the transformation of yeast, plant cells, and mammalian cells.

Phleomycin is a metal-complexing DNA degrading antibiotic.

Phleomycin can bind and intercalate with the DNA that leads to DNA strand breaks. It acts as an inhibitor of DNA replication.

previous study found that the chromosomes could be cleaved into nucleosomes and degraded by phleomycin over significantly narrower dose ranges than by bleomycin. in addition, phleomycin also showed lower specificity for internucleosomal cleavage than bleomycin. moreover, it was found that the higher reactivity of phleomycin did not solely result from its higher rate of internucleosomal and intranucleosomal chromatin cleavage, since short phleomycin reactions always led to more extensive chromatin cleavage at low concentrations [1].

a study of the in-vivo effects of phleomycin on meiosis of the mouse egg demonstrated a spectrum of damage to both first metaphase and second metaphase with polar body. the minimal effective dose in vivo of 2.5 μg/g of body weight could alter 28.3% of first metaphase figures and 50% of second metaphase cells [2].

[1] moore, c. w. internucleosomal cleavage and chromosomal degradation by bleomycin and phleomycin in yeast. cancer research 48(23), 6837-6843 (1988).
[2] jagiello gm. action of phleomycin on the meiosis of the mouse ovum. mutat res. 1968 sep-oct;6(2):289-95.