Aldolase A

Aldolase A is an enzyme which catalyses one of the aldol reactions: The substrate, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (F-1,6-BP) is broken down into glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP). This reaction is a part of glycolysis.

The numbering of the carbon atoms indicates the fate of the carbons according to their position in fructose 6-phosphate.

Mechanism
In mammalian aldolase the key catylitic amino acid residues involved in the reaction are lysine and tyrosine. The tyrosine acts as an efficient hydrogen acceptor while the lysine covalently binds and stabilizes the intermediates. Many bacteria use two magnesium ions in place of the lysine.