Pyrophosphatase

Pyrophosphatases catalyze the conversion of organic pyrophosphate to orthophosphate. It is an exergonic reaction which other thermodynamically unfavorable biochemical reactions are possible, for example, the build-up of lipids. Pyrophosphatases can be found from the bacterial cell to human organism in all organisms.

Thermus thermophilus has the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), suitable thermally stable pyrophosphatase. In the PCR caused by the reaction of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates ( dNTP) to Desoxynukleosidmonophosphaten ( dNMP ) pyrophosphate, which can act on the process inhibihierend. The elimination of pyrophosphate can the efficiency and yield of PCR increase.

The pyrophosphatases from Escherichia coli ( a hexamer, six domains) and in human cells as well as yeast cells ( a dimer, two domains) belong to the family of the 1 pyrophosphatases pyrophosphatase 2 is found only in prokaryotes.