Synthesis of trimethyl (2S,3R)- and (2R,3R)-[2-2H1]-homocitrates and the corresponding dimethyl ester lactones—towards elucidating the stereochemistry of the reaction catalysed by homocitrate synthase and by the Nif-V protein

Trimethyl (2S,3R)- and (2R,3R)-[2-2H1]-homocitrates, 10b and 10c respectively, and dimethyl (2S,3R)- and (2R,3R)-[2-2H1]-homocitric lactones, 11b and 11c respectively, have been synthesised from shikimic acid and [2-2H]-shikimic acid by a route which defines the stereochemistry of the two chiral centres in each compound. The NMR spectra of these products will enable the stereochemistry of the biological reaction catalysed by homocitrate synthase and by the protein from the nifV gene to be elucidated.