Enzyme-assisted preparation of isotope-labeled 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate.

Recombinant 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase of Bacillus subtilis was used for the preparation of isotope-labeled 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate using isotope-labeled glucose and/or isotope-labeled pyruvate as starting materials. The simple one-pot methods described afford almost every conceivable isotopomer of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate carrying (13)C or (14)C from commercially available precursors with an overall yield around 50%.