UDP-glucuronate decarboxylase

In enzymology, an UDP-glucuronate decarboxylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction


 * UDP-D-glucuronate $$\rightleftharpoons$$ UDP-D-xylose + CO2

Hence, this enzyme has one substrate, UDP-D-glucuronate, and two products, UDP-D-xylose and CO2.

This enzyme belongs to the family of lyases, specifically the carboxy-lyases, which cleave carbon-carbon bonds. The systematic name of this enzyme class is UDP-D-glucuronate carboxy-lyase (UDP-D-xylose-forming). Other names in common use include uridine-diphosphoglucuronate decarboxylase, and UDP-D-glucuronate carboxy-lyase. This enzyme participates in starch and sucrose metabolism and nucleotide sugars metabolism. It employs one cofactor, NAD+.

Structural studies
As of late 2007, two structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes and.