AbstractIntercalation complexes of daunomicin(+1) with tetramer duplexes in DNA are studied with the theoretically determined intercalation sites (I, −0.4), (II, −0.4), and (III, −1.4). These sites occur with base pairs separated by 6.76 Å for helical angles of 26°, 22°, and 8° about the intercalation site. Site I is preferred, and this is in agreement with experimental unwinding angles. Optimum binding positions and conformations are established, and these are in agreement with experimental results from crystal structures. A systematic procedure is devised to study base‐pair and base‐sequence specificity, which results in the demonstration that the most stable sequences are mainly ↑BP1, T·A, DAUN, A·T, BP4↓ and ↑BP1, T·A, DAUN, G·C, BP4↓, i.e., with the TpA and CpG (pyrimidine)p(purine) sequences about the intercalation site. These 32 possible sequences are found among the 40 most stable complexes. These theoretical calculations of intercalation complexes with daunomicin(+1) provide the first example in which a drug specifically selects the base pair T·A and prefers it in a particular sequence about the intercalation site. This specificity is in agreement with some experimental results. Problems associated with the interpretation of specificity are discussed in terms of the base, base‐pair, and base‐sequence resulting from the DNA site and the DNA–drug interactions. T·A specificity is rationalized by noting that the 2′deoxyribo‐5′‐monophosphate backbone attached to A is slightly more negative than that on the other nucleotides. Hence, a preference exists for binding to the protonated daunosamine (+1) groups. Stereographic projections of daunomycinone and daunomycin(+1) in a bond model and in a space‐filling model