<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p><jats:bold>Simplify, simplify, simplify!</jats:bold> Pretubulysin (structure without the green substituents), a simplified tubulysin was prepared in the laboratory and also found in a natural myxobacterial source. This biosynthetic precursor of the tubulysins is not as active as tubulysins A and D but is still effective in picomolar concentrations against cancer cell lines.<jats:boxed-text content-type="graphic" position="anchor"><jats:graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" mimetype="image/gif" position="anchor" specific-use="enlarged-web-image" xlink:href="graphic/mcontent.gif"><jats:alt-text>magnified image</jats:alt-text></jats:graphic></jats:boxed-text>