FR901464 is a cytotoxic natural product that binds splicing
factor
3B subunit 1 (SF3B1) and PHD finger protein 5A (PHF5A), the components
of the human spliceosome. The amide-containing tetrahydropyran ring
binds SF3B1, and it remains unclear how the substituents on the ring
contribute to the binding. Here, we synthesized meayamycin D, an analogue
of FR901464, and three additional analogues to probe the conformation
through methyl scanning. We discovered that the amide-containing tetrahydropyran
ring assumes only one of the two possible chair conformations and
that methylation of the nitrogen distorts the chair form, dramatically
reducing cytotoxicity. Meayamycin D induced alternative splicing of MCL-1, showed strong synergism with venetoclax in drug-resistant
lung cancer cells, and was cancer-specific over normal cells. Meayamycin
D incorporates an alkyl ether and shows a long half-life in mouse
plasma. The characteristics of meayamycin D may provide an approach
to designing other bioactive L-shaped molecules.