The chemical reactions and pathways resulting in the formation of ectoine (1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-methyl-4-pyrimidinecarboxylic acid), a tetrahydropyrimidine commonly synthesized by halophilic bacteria. [ GOC:jl http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11823218 ]
Synonyms: ectoine formation ectoine biosynthesis ectoine anabolism ectoine synthesis