The Bucherer-Bergs reaction of methyl 2,3-O-isopropylidene-alpha-d-lyxo-hexofuranosid-5-ulose gave (4'S)-4'-carbamoyl-4'-[methyl (4R)-2,3-O-isopropylidene-beta-l-erythrofuranosid-4-C-yl]-oxazolidin-2'-one instead of expected hydantoins. A mixture of hydantoins--(5'R)-triphenylmethoxymethyl-5'-[methyl (4R)-2,3-O-isopropylidene-beta-l-erythrofuranosid-4-C-yl]-imidazolidin-2',4'-dione and (5'S)-triphenylmethoxymethyl-5'-[methyl (4R)-2,3-O-isopropylidene-beta-l-erythrofuranosid-4-C-yl]-imidazolidin-2',4'-dione was obtained from the 5-ulose having protected primary OH group at C-6. The 4'-S configuration of 2 as well as 5'-S configuration of (5'S)-hydroxymethyl-5'-[methyl (4R)-2,3-O-isopropylidene-beta-l-erythrofuranosid-4-C-yl]-imidazolidin-2',4'-dione (9) was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Corresponding alpha-amino acid--methyl (5S)-5-amino-5-C-carboxy-5-deoxy-alpha-d-lyxo-hexofuranoside (alternative name: 2-[methyl (4R)-beta-l-erythrofuranosid-4-C-yl]-l-serine) (11) was obtained from the hydantoin 9 by acid hydrolysis of the isopropylidene and trityl groups followed by basic hydrolysis of the hydantoin ring. Analogous derivatives with 5-R configuration, formed in a minority, were also isolated and characterised.