The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) binding characteristics of adriamycin and several new anthracycline glycosides, including marcellomycin, aclacinomycin, rudolfomycin, musettamycin, and pyrromycin, have been studied. The fluorescence spectra were determined for all six anthracyclines, and the fluorescence quenching effects caused by interactions with the natural DNAs poly(dAdT)--poly(dAdT) and poly(dGdC) were characterized. Binding parameters were determined by Scatchard analyses of results obtained by spectrofluorometric titrations of anthracyclines with DNA. Consistent with earlier structure--activity relationship studies of nucleic acid synthesis inhibitory effects, the results demonstrate a correlation between the length of the glycosidic side chain and DNA binding affinity. In addition, the sugar residue 2-deoxyfucose appears to confer greater DNA binding ability than do the sugars rednosamine and cinerulose when present in the terminal position of the glycosidic side chain, also in agreement with earlier studies. The sequence preference of anthracycline--DNA interaction has been examined by using DNAs of varying GC content, including the naturally occurring calf thymus DNA (43% GC), Clostridium perfringens DNA (28% GC), and Micrococcus luteus DNA (72% GC) and the synthetic double-stranded copolymers poly(dGdC)--poly(dGdC) and poly(dAdT)--POLY(DAdT). The results demonstrate that although adriamycin shows an absolute requirement for GC sequences for DNA binding, marcellomycin and its analogues showed no such sequence requirement. Furthermore, an AT preference for DNA binding was demonstrated with marcellomycin and its analogues.