Chemical and Biological Aspects of Pyridoxal Catalysis contains the proceedings of the symposium of the International Union of Biochemistry, held in Rome in October 1962. The proceedings cover the lectures, discussions, and scientific papers on the many aspects of pyridoxal biochemistry. The book presents a wide range of topics of pyridoxal biochemistry, starting with a brief review of the history of the chemistry of vitamin B6 and pyridoxal-containing systems, and their significance in the understanding of the catalytic effects of pyridoxal. Structural features of glutamic aspartic transaminase; studies on leucine decarboxylase; cleavage of cystamine by diamineoxidase; and enzymatic steps in the degradation of vitamin B6 by bacteria are also discussed. The final chapter gives a brief survey of the developments in the study of catalytic functions and biological role of PLP enzymes. Biochemists, biologists, chemists, enzymologists, pharmacologists, and physicians will find this book invaluable.