Synthesis of 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate: the first pathway-specific intermediate in the methylerythritol phosphate route to isoprenoids

[reaction: see text] 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (4), formed from 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (3), is the first pathway-specific intermediate in the methylerythritol phosphate route for the biosynthesis of isoprenoid compounds in bacteria, algae, and plant chloroplasts. In this report, 4 was synthesized from 1,2-propanediol (7) in seven steps with an overall yield of 32% and in an enantiomeric excess of 78%.