Synthesis of deuterium labelled L- and D-glutamate semialdehydes and their evaluation as substrates for carboxymethylproline synthase (CarB)--implications for carbapenem biosynthesis.

Carboxymethylproline synthase was shown to condense L-glutamate semialdehyde with malonyl-coenzyme A to produce (2S,5S)-carboxymethylproline, while incubation of D-glutamate semialdehyde results only in uncoupled turnover of malonyl-CoA.