Information on EC 4.4.1.13 - cysteine-S-conjugate beta-lyase

A pyridoxal-phosphate protein. The enzyme is promiscuous regarding the moiety conjugated to L-cysteine, and can accept both aliphatic and aromatic substitutions. The enzyme cleaves a carbon-sulfur bond, releasing a thiol and an unstable enamine product that tautomerizes to an imine form, which undergoes a hydrolytic deamination to form pyruvate and ammonia. While bacteria and plants have dedicated enzymes, all of the animal enzymes discovered thus far are bifunctional, most of which also act as aminotransferases.