Several podophyllotoxin-related lignans have been shown to possess significant antifungal activity against a number of filamentous fungi. Initial structure-activity studies indicate this action is sensitive to change at the 4 and 4' positions of the podophyllotoxin skeleton. Good correlation has been observed between antifungal action and the ability to inhibit the relaxation of supercoiled plasmid DNA by a topoisomerase II preparation from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Etoposide, an inhibitor of mammalian topoisomerase II, is inactive against this yeast enzyme, although good inhibition is shown by amiloride, 4'-(9-acridinylamino)-methanesulphon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA) and novobiocin, known inhibitors of the mammalian enzyme.