Anti-apoptotic oncoproteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL are overexpressed in many cancers, 1 resulting in the expansion of a transformed population and the advancement of the multidrug-resistant stage. Consequently, Bcl-2/Bcl-xL have stood out among molecular targets in oncology, and the functional blockade of these proteins will be an aid to novel anti-tumor therapies. Since these proteins are known to show an anti-apoptotic effect partly through forming a heterodimer with pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 members, such as Bax and Bak, 2 several researchers have rationally designed and synthesized compounds that target their binding pocket and have reported several compounds such as HA14-1 and ABT-737 as Bcl-2/BclxL inhibitors. 3 Currently, several lines of evidence indicate that Bcl-2/Bcl-xL clearly have other functions related to their abilities to interact physically with many other proteins; however, the underlying mechanisms for the regulation of apoptosis by Bcl-2/ Bcl-xL through interacting with such proteins still remain unclear. 4 For further understanding of the regulation of apoptosis by Bcl-2/ Bcl-xL, the development of a new class of chemical tools is required. Cell-based chemical-genetic screens have been used to help discover small, cell-permeable bioactive molecules that induce phenotypic changes, and through subsequent identification of their target proteins, they can contribute to reveal the molecular basis of biological processes. Therefore, we constructed a cell-based chemical-genetic screening system to discover small molecules that induce apoptosis in Bcl-xL-overexpressing human small cell lung carcinoma Ms-1 cells when combined with anti-tumor drugs. In the course of our screening, we isolated a structurally and functionally unique compound, named incednine (1), from the culture broth of Streptomyces sp. ML694-90F3. Here, we describe the isolation, structure elucidation, and biological activities of 1.Incednine (1) was obtained (18.9 mg/L) as a pale-yellow powder from the cultured broth of the producing strain by centrifugal liquid-liquid partition chromatography for two reasons: (1) this compound decomposes easily under acidic conditions or when exposed to light, and (2) the isolation using a solid carrier such as silica gel was inefficient. The molecular formula of 1 was found to be C 42 H 63 N 3 O 8 by HRESIMS. The characteristic UV absorption (λ max ) 294.5, 309.5, 322.5, 356.0 nm) was indicative a polyene moiety. The positive color reaction to GL reagent, negative reaction to ninhydrin, and the typical IR absorption at 1650, 1510 cm -1 suggested the presence of an amido group.The assignable NMR spectra were obtained when the sample was dissolved in CD 3 OH/H 2 O (3:1) and measured at -5°C. The 13 C NMR and DEPT spectra revealed that 1 contained 42 carbons, including one carbonyl, four quaternary sp 2 , one quaternary sp 3 , fourteen sp 2 methines, nine sp 3 methines, four methylenes, and nine methyl carbons. One carbonyl signal and eighteen sp 2 carbons require the presence of three rings from the unsaturatio...