Oxalyl-Co A Decarboxylase

Oxalyl-Co A Decarboxylase

In enzymology, an oxalyl-CoA decarboxylase (OXC) (EC 4.1.1.8) is an enzyme primarily produced by the gastrointestinal bacterium Oxalobacter formigenes that catalyzes the chemical reaction

oxalyl-CoA formyl-CoA + CO₂

OXC belongs to the family of lyases, specifically the carboxy-lyases, which cleave carbon-carbon bonds. The systematic name of this enzyme class is oxalyl-CoA carboxy-lyase (formyl-CoA-forming). Other names in common use include oxalyl coenzyme A decarboxylase, and oxalyl-CoA carboxy-lyase. This enzyme participates in glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. It employs one cofactor, thiamin diphosphate (TPP), and plays a key role in catabolism of oxalate, a highly toxic compound that is a product of the oxidation of carbohydrates in many bacteria and plants. Oxalyl-CoA decarboxylase is extremely important for the elimination of ingested oxalates found in human foodstuffs like coffee, tea, and chocolate, and the ingestion of such foods in the absence of Oxalobacter formigenes in the gut can result in kidney disease or even death as a result of oxalate poisoning.