First Stereocontrolled Synthesis of (S)-cleonin and Related Cyclopropyl-substituted Amino Acids

[reaction: see text]. Enantiomerically pure (S)-cleonin, a key component of the antitumor antibiotic cleomycin, was prepared starting from (R)-serine. The Kulinkovich cyclopropanation of the methyl ester of N-Cbz serine acetonide gave the hydroxycyclopropyl moiety. The amino alcohol region was further oxidized to amino acid. The Kulinkovich cyclopropanation allowed also the preparation of other non-natural substituted cyclopropylglycines.