Inositol hexakisphosphate, often called phytate, is found in abundance in seeds and acting as an inorganic phosphate reservoir. Phytases are phosphatases that hydrolyze phytate to less-phosphorylated myo-inositol derivatives and inorganic phosphate. ...
Inositol hexakisphosphate, often called phytate, is found in abundance in seeds and acting as an inorganic phosphate reservoir. Phytases are phosphatases that hydrolyze phytate to less-phosphorylated myo-inositol derivatives and inorganic phosphate. The active-site sequence (HCXXGXGR) of the phytase identified from the gut micro-organism Selenomonas ruminantium forms a loop (P loop) at the base of a substrate binding pocket that is characteristic of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). The depth of this pocket is an important determinant of the substrate specificity of PTPs. In humans this enzyme is thought to aid bone mineralization and salvage the inositol moiety prior to apoptosis [3].