Schiff base
Amongst aldolases, DERA is unique as it is the only enzyme to afford two aldehydes as products. Crystallography shows that the enzyme is a Class I aldolase, so the mechanism proceeds via the formation of a Schiff base with Lys167 at the active site. A nearby residue, Lys201, is critical to reaction by increasing the acidity of protonated Lys167, so Schiff base formation can occur more readily.