Production of 3 ketosphinganine

Proposed reaction mechanism for serine palmitoyltransferase (modified from D. J. Campopiano and colleagues,263−265 see text). Starting with the enzyme with pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) bound as a Schiff’s base with an active site Lys (upper left), Ser is bound to make the external aldimine 24 then palmitoyl-CoA is bound and the reaction proceeds as shown until 3-ketosphinganine 30 is released.