Interaction of kendomycin and semi-synthetic analogues with the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xl.

The cytotoxic macrolide kendomycin was identified as a ligand of Bcl-xl, an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 protein family. Hydrolysis-stable and protonable semi-synthetic analogues have been obtained that retain cytotoxicity and Bcl-xl binding.