Alpha,beta-elimination reaction of O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase. Is the pyridine ring required?

O-Acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS) catalyzes the elimination of acetate from O-acetyl-L-serine (OAS) followed by addition of bisulfide to give L-cysteine. Site-directed mutagenesis has been used to replace the active site serine, S272, which forms a hydrogen bond to N1 of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) with alanine and aspartate. Based on UV-visible spectral and steady-state kinetic studies, both mutant enzymes catalyze the elimination reaction with an efficiency equal to that of the wild-type enzyme. Data are consistent with an anti-E(2) reaction proposed for the elimination reaction.