EC 1.14.20.4     
Accepted name: anthocyanidin synthase
Reaction: a (2R,3S,4S)-leucoanthocyanidin + 2-oxoglutarate + O2 = an anthocyanidin + succinate + CO2 + 2 H2O (overall reaction)
(1a) a (2R,3S,4S)-leucoanthocyanidin + 2-oxoglutarate + O2 = a (4S)- 2,3-dehydroflavan-3,4-diol + succinate + CO2 + H2O
(1b) a (4S)- 2,3-dehydroflavan-3,4-diol = an anthocyanidin + H2O
Glossary: taxifolin = 3,4-dihydroquercitin
Other name(s): leucocyanidin oxygenase; leucocyanidin,2-oxoglutarate:oxygen oxidoreductase; ANS (gene name)
Systematic name: (2R,3S,4S)-leucoanthocyanidin,2-oxoglutarate:oxygen oxidoreductase
Comments: The enzyme requires Fe(II) and ascorbate. It is involved in the pathway by which many flowering plants make anthocyanin flower pigments (glycosylated anthocyandins). The enzyme hydroxylates the C-3 carbon, followed by a trans diaxial elimination, forming a C-2,C-3 enol. The product loses a second water molecule to form anthocyanidins. When assayed in vitro, non-enzymic epimerization of the product can lead to formation of dihydroflavanols. Thus when the substrate is leucocyanidin, a mixture of (+)-taxifolin and (+)-epitaxifolin are formed. The enzyme can also oxidize the formed (+)-taxifolin to quercetin (cf. EC 1.14.20.6, flavonol synthase) [2,3].
References:
1.  Saito, K., Kobayashi, M., Gong, Z., Tanaka, Y. and Yamazaki, M. Direct evidence for anthocyanidin synthase as a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent oxygenase: molecular cloning and functional expression of cDNA from a red forma of Perilla frutescens. Plant J. 17 (1999) 181–190. [PMID: 10074715]
2.  Turnbull, J.J., Sobey, W.J., Aplin, R.T., Hassan, A., Firmin, J.L., Schofield, C.J. and Prescott, A.G. Are anthocyanidins the immediate products of anthocyanidin synthase? Chem. Commun. (2000) 2473–2474.
3.  Wilmouth, R.C., Turnbull, J.J., Welford, R.W., Clifton, I.J., Prescott, A.G. and Schofield, C.J. Structure and mechanism of anthocyanidin synthase from Arabidopsis thaliana. Structure 10 (2002) 93–103. [PMID: 11796114]
4.  Turnbull, J.J., Nagle, M.J., Seibel, J.F., Welford, R.W., Grant, G.H. and Schofield, C.J. The C-4 stereochemistry of leucocyanidin substrates for anthocyanidin synthase affects product selectivity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 13 (2003) 3853–3857. [PMID: 14552794]
5.  Wellmann, F., Griesser, M., Schwab, W., Martens, S., Eisenreich, W., Matern, U. and Lukacin, R. Anthocyanidin synthase from Gerbera hybrida catalyzes the conversion of (+)-catechin to cyanidin and a novel procyanidin. FEBS Lett. 580 (2006) 1642–1648. [PMID: 16494872]
[EC 1.14.20.4 created 2001 as EC 1.14.11.19, transferred 2018 to EC 1.14.20.4]