Feeding of [3-¹³C, 2-¹⁵N]arginine, 38a, unequivocally established that the β-
arginine moiety of blasticidin S, 1, was formed from α-arginine by an intramolecular
migration of the α-amino group to the β- position. Further feedings using chirally
deuteriated arginines 38e and 38f revealed that the aminomutase process occurred with
inversion of...