Conformational properties of HO2(-)-Co(III)-bleomycin A2 (Form I) and Co(III)-bleomycin (Form II) bound to DNA oligomers offering either principal cleavage site for the drug, d(GGAAGCTTCC)2 or d(AAACGTIT)2, have been studied by NMR methods. Form I binds in slow exchange to these oligomers. It retains most of its solution nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs) upon binding to either oligomer. Pyrimidinyl methyl protons from the metal domain of the drug make an NOE connection with a G5 2-amino proton on DNA. The bithiazole intercalates between base pairs involving either C6 and T7 or T6 and T7 of the two DNA molecules, according to NOE connections between the bithiazole protons and protons from these bases and changes in the positions of their chemical shifts. Form II also retains most of its solution NOEs upon association with the first oligomer. However, in contrast to Form I it binds to DNA in fast exchange on the NMR time scale over the temperature range of 5-35 degrees C and does not break the degeneracy of the DNA proton chemical shifts. No intermolecular NOEs between Form II and the 10-mer have been detected. Likewise, the major perturbation in chemical shift of the histidine H2 and guanine G5 protons seen in Form I-DNA adducts is absent in Form II-DNA. The association constant of Form II with d(GGAAGCTTCC)2 in 20 mM HEPES buffer at pH 7.4 and 25 degrees C is 1.7 x 10(5) M(-1), and 1.0 mol of Form II bind per mol of 10-mer.