The stereochemistry at carbon 3 of pyruvate lyase condensation products. 2-Keto-3-deoxygluconate-6-phosphate aldolase.

In a condensation between [3-3H3]pyruvate and D-glyceraldehyde-3-P as catalyzed by 2-keto-3-deoxygluconate-6-P aldolase (EC 4.1.2.14) of Pseudomonas putida, C--C synthesis occurred appreciably faster than C--3H bond breaking. Since tritium is present in tritiated pyruvate in tracer amounts, this result showed hydrogen isotope discrimination in pyruvate deprotonation and suggests enolpyruvate generation to be at least partially rate-limiting in the condensation reaction. Consequently, in a condensation reaction between [3-3H, 2H,H]pyruvate of known chirality and D-glyceraldehyde-3-P, the newly synthesized C--C bond would be enriched for at what was the C--H bond of chiral pyruvate, discriminating against the C--2H and C--3H bonds. Additional studies showed that condensations between (3S)-[3-3H, 2H,H]- or (3R)-[3-3H, 2H,H]pyruvate and D-glyceraldehyde-3-P yielded predominantly (3S)- or (3R)-2-keto-3-deoxy[3-3H, 2H]gluconate-6-P, respectively. By comparison with sterochemical models, it was concluded that condensation occurred with retention of configuration at C-3. Thus in the turnover of substrates as catalyzed by this enzyme, both the exchanging proton from water and D-glyceraldehyde-3-P attack the same face of the enzyme-bound pyruvyleneamine.