Stereochemical course of the adenosine triphosphate phosphoribosyltransferase reaction in histidine biosynthesis.

Abstract The product of the first reaction in histidine biosynthesis is shown by optical rotation measurements on three derivatives to have inverted, beta stereochemistry at the newly formed bond. This is in contrast to alpha linkage expected on the basis of previously observed exchange, specificity, and covalent intermediate phenomena. The postulate double displacement mechanism for adenosine triphosphate phosphoribosyltransferase must be modified to account for the product stereochemistry.