nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) of Aquifex aeolicus PPX/GppA, Mycobacterium tuberculosis PPX2, Fusobacterium nucleatum AroB, and similar proteins
The PPX/GppA family proteins play essential roles in bacterial survival and metabolism. Guanosine pentaphosphate (pppGpp) phosphohydrolase (GppA; EC 3.6.1.40) plays a key role in (p)ppGpp homeostasis. It specifically catalyzes the conversion of pppGpp to ppGpp (guanosine tetraphosphate). Sharing a similar domain structure, GppA is indistinguishable from exopolyphosphatase (PPX; EC 3.6.1.11), which mediates the metabolism of cellular inorganic polyphosphate. Especially, it is responsible for the maintenance of appropriate levels of cellular inorganic polyphosphate (PolyP). The family corresponds to a group of proteins similar to Aquifex aeolicus exopolyphosphatase/guanosine pentaphosphate phosphohydrolase (AaPPX/GppA), Mycobacterium tuberculosis exopolyphosphatase 2 (MtPPX2), Fusobacterium nucleatum bifunctional 3-dehydroquinate synthase/phosphatase (AroB) and similar proteins.