The goal of the present study was to develop a convergent route to a single-core segment of the threo,trans,threo,trans, threo stereochemistry, present in asimicin and a number of other highly cytotoxic natural acetogenins (Figure 1), 8 with a view to prepare various analogues differing in the length and nature of the pendant side chains. We were motivated to pursue this line of investigation by a report of Miyoshi and co-workers who concluded from molecular ...