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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation
Published on: May 22, 2016
OMP decarboxylase--An enigma persists
Brian P Callahan1, Brian G Miller
1Division of Infectious Disease, Wadsworth Center--NYS-DOH, Albany, NY 12202, USA. callahan@wadsworth.org
Abstract:
In 1995, Radzicka and Wolfenden reported that the rate enhancement produced by orotidine 5'-phosphate decarboxylase (ODCase) approaches 10(17), making this enzyme the most effective pure protein catalyst known in Nature [A. Radzicka, R. Wolfenden, Science 267 (1995) 90-93]. Over the last 12 years, there have been many hypotheses put forward to explain that impressive effect. In this perspective, we provide a summary of the reaction pathways under consideration for ODCase, highlight the supporting and refuting data, and suggest experiments designed to further test each of the candidate pathways.
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