Orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMPDC) catalyzes the exchange for deuterium from solvent D(2)O of the C-6 proton of 1-(beta-D-erythrofuranosyl)5-fluorouracil (FEU), a phosphodianion truncated product analog. The deuterium exchange reaction of FEU is accelerated 1.8 x 10(4)-fold by 1 M phosphite dianion (HPO(3)(2-)). This corresponds to a 5.8 kcal/mol stabilization of the vinyl carbanion-like transition state, which is similar to the 7.8 kcal/mol stabilization of the transition state for OMPDC-catalyzed decarboxylation of a truncated substrate analog by bound HPO(3)(2-). These results show that the intrinsic binding energy of phosphite dianion is used in the stabilization of the vinyl carbanion-like transition state common to the decarboxylation and deuterium exchange reactions.