The major steps in the sulfo-SFT pathway are:
* isomerization of sulfoquinovose to sulfofructose (catalyzed by sulfoquinovose isomerase);
* transaldol reaction of sulfofructose to release sulfolactaldehyde (catalyzed by sulfofructose transaldolase), and transfer of the C3-(glycerone)-moiety to glyceraldehyde phosphate, yielding fructose-6-phosphate;
* sulfolactaldehyde may be reduced to (S)-2,3-dihydroxypropane-1-sulfonate (catalyzed by sulfolactaldehyde reductase and using NADH as a co-factor), or oxidized to sulfolactate (catalyzed by sulfolactaldehyde dehydrogenase using NAD+ as a co-factor).
The transaldolase can also catalyze transfer of the C3-(glycerone)-moiety to erythrose-4-phosphate, giving sedoheptulose-7-phosphate.