An efficient and highly stereocontrolled route to bulgecinine hydrochloride.

(-)-Bulgecinine is a nonproteinogenic amino acid component present in bulgecins A, B, and C, antibiotic glycopeptides derived from Pseudomonas acidophila and Pseudomonas mesoacidophila. In combination with beta-lactam antibiotics, bulgecins exihibit a unique synergistic antibacterial activity against various Gram-negative microorganisms. Utilizing d-serine as a chiral template and employing a highly regio- and stereoselective intramolecular amidomercuration-oxidation protocol in the key pyrrolidine ring forming step, an efficient total synthetic route to enantiopure bulgecinine is reported herein.