Synthesis of DL-[4-3H]glutamic acid for studies on clavulanic acid biosynthesis

The synthesis of [4-3H]glutamate involved regioselective tritiation of monomethyl succinate, a two-step selective conversion of its free acid function into an aldehyde, and its subsequent conversion by the Strecker reaction into the corresponding α-aminonitrile and hence to the target tritiated glutamate.