diadenosine 5',5'''-P1,P6-hexaphosphate hydrolase type 2 and similar proteins
Diadenosine 5',5'''-P1,P6-hexaphosphate hydrolase type 2 (DIPP2), also known as NUDIX (nucleoside diphosphate-linked moiety X)) motif 4; Nudt4, and other proteins including DIPP1/Nudt3, DIPP3a;APS2/Nudt10 and DIPP3beta;APS1/Nudt11. DIPP regulates the turnover of diphosphoinositol polyphosphates. The turnover of these high-energy diphosphoinositol polyphosphates represents a molecular switching activity with important regulatory consequences. Molecular switching by diphosphoinositol polyphosphates may contribute to regulating intracellular trafficking. Several alternatively spliced transcript variants have been described, but the full-length nature of some variants has not been determined. Isoforms DIPP2alpha and DIPP2beta are distinguishable from each other solely by DIPP2beta possessing one additional amino acid due to intron boundary skidding in alternate splicing. Members of the NUDIX hydrolase superfamily catalyze the hydrolysis of NUcleoside DIphosphates linked to other moieties, X. Enzymes belonging to this superfamily require a divalent cation, such as Mg2+ or Mn2+, for their activity and contain a highly conserved 23-residue NUDIX motif (GX5EX7REUXEEXGU, where U = I, L or V), which functions as a metal binding and catalytic site. Substrates of NUDIX hydrolases include intact and oxidatively damaged nucleoside triphosphates, dinucleoside polyphosphates, nucleotide-sugars and dinucleotide enzymes. These substrates are metabolites or cell signaling molecules that require regulation during different stages of the cell cycle or during periods of stress. In general, the role of the NUDIX hydrolase is to sanitize the nucleotide pools and to maintain cell viability, thereby serving as surveillance & "house-cleaning" enzymes. Substrate specificity is used to define families within the superfamily. Differences in substrate specificity are determined by the N-terminal extension or by residues in variable loop regions. Mechanistically, substrate hydrolysis occurs by a nucleophilic substitution reaction, with variation in the numbers and roles of divalent cations required.