Strains of the bacteria Erwinia herbicola produce antibiotics that effectively control E. amylovora, the bacterial pathogen responsible for the plant disease fire blight. Pantocin B was the first of these antibiotics to be characterized, and a flexible synthesis of various analogues is reported. Embedded in the “pseudo-tripeptide” backbone of pantocin B are a methylenediamine and a methyl sulfone, both unusual structural features in natural ...
