Isotope Probing of the UDP‐Apiose/UDP‐Xylose Synthase Reaction: Evidence of a Mechanism via a Coupled Oxidation and Aldol Cleavage

The C‐branched sugar d‐apiose (Api) is essential for plant cell‐wall development. An enzyme‐catalyzed decarboxylation/pyranoside ring‐contraction reaction leads from UDP‐α‐d‐glucuronic acid (UDP‐GlcA) to the Api precursor UDP‐α‐d‐apiose (UDP‐Api). We examined the mechanism of UDP‐Api/UDP‐α‐d‐xylose synthase (UAXS) with site‐selectively (2)H‐labeled and deoxygenated substrates. The analogue UDP‐2‐deoxy‐GlcA, which prevents C‐2/C‐3 aldol cleavage as the plausible initiating step of pyranoside‐to‐furanoside conversion, did not give the corresponding Api product. Kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) support an UAXS mechanism in which substrate oxidation by enzyme‐NAD(+) and retro‐aldol sugar ring‐opening occur coupled in a single rate‐limiting step leading to decarboxylation. Rearrangement and ring‐contracting aldol addition in an open‐chain intermediate then give the UDP‐Api aldehyde, which is intercepted via reduction by enzyme‐NADH.