Total syntheses of myriocin (thermozymocidin, ISP-1, 21) and its analog, Z-myriocin (22), which showed potent immunosuppressive activity, were accomplished starting from 2-deoxy-d-glucose by employing a modified Darzen reaction as a key reaction. The stereoselectivity of the modified Darzen reaction for six-membered cyclic ketones was discussed on the basis of physicochemical evidence including the