An epimerase-reductase in L-fucose synthesis.

The first committed enzyme in GDP-L-fucose formation from GDP-D-mannose is GDP-D-mannose 4,6-dehydratase, which forms GDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-mannose. The uncertain enzymatic steps beyond this point were examined in this study. Assays were developed for the epimerase and reductase activities which the putative pathway would predict. A protein was isolated exhibiting homogeneity by several criteria. This single protein, which forms GDP-L-fucose from GDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-mannose and NADH, appears to possess both epimerase and reductase capabilities and may be termed GDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-mannose-3,5-epimerase-4-reductase. Analysis on a molecular sieve column using fast protein liquid chromatography established a molecular weight of 63,100 for the native enzyme, whereas sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis established a subunit molecular weight of 31,500.