ABSTRACT
The term vitamin B6 refers to a group of naturally occurring pyridine derivatives represented by pyridoxine (pyridoxol, PN), pyridoxal (PL), and pyridoxamine (PM), and their phosphorylated derivatives. They are collectively referred to as vitamin B6 vitamers. The natural free forms of the vitamers could be converted to the key coenzymatic form, pyridoxal phosphate (PLP), by the action of two enzymes, a kinase and an oxidase. There are more than 140 PLP-dependent enzymatic reactions, and they are distributed in all organisms. These enzymes comprise diverse groups such as the oxidoreductases, transferases, hydrolases, lyases, and isomerases. About 1.5% of the genes of free-living prokaryotes encode PLP enzymes. These enzymes participate in the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids, indicating the versatility of PLP-dependent enzymes.
