Pyrophosphatases

The EC 3.6.1 enzymes that clip diphosphate bonds, chiefly in nucleoside di- and triphosphates, releasing mono- or diphosphate fragments. Cells rely on them as thermodynamic engines: by sweeping away the pyrophosphate released in biosynthesis, they drag reactions forward that would otherwise stall. Every living cell, including the microbes and plant and animal tissues of foods, runs these housekeeping catalysts continuously. In vitro, molecular biologists add them to reactions to boost yields, borrowing the same principle industry applies in fermentation control.