Crystal Structures of Arabidopsis thaliana Oxalyl-CoA Synthetase Essential for Oxalate Degradation

Oxalic acid, the simplest of all dicarboxylic acids, is widely found in all plant species (Franceschi and Nakata, 2005). Two pathways exist for oxalate degradation in plants: degradation via oxalate oxidase and ATP- and CoA-dependent decarboxylation of oxalate through a poorly studied series of enzymatic reactions (Giovanelli and Tobin, 1961). Oxalyl-CoA synthetase, the enzyme that initiates the second degradation pathway was recently identified in Arabidopsis thaliana as a protein encoded by ACYL-ACTIVATING ENZYME3 (AAE3).