Benzoylformate decarboxylase

The enzyme benzoylformate decarboxylase catalyzes the following chemical reaction:


 * benzoylformate + H+  $$\rightleftharpoons$$ benzaldehyde + CO2

Hence, this enzyme has one substrate, benzoylformate, and two products, benzaldehyde 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 benzoylformate carboxy-lyase (benzaldehyde-forming). Other names in common use include phenylglyoxylate decarboxylase, and benzoylformate carboxy-lyase. This enzyme participates in benzoate degradation via hydroxylation and toluene and xylene degradation. It employs one cofactor, thiamin diphosphate.

Structural studies
As of late 2007, 8 structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes, , , , , , , and.