4-hydroxyphenylacetate decarboxylase glycyl radical subunit

UniProtKB accession:  Q38HX4

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UniProtKB description:  Glycyl radical subunit of the HPA decarboxylase that decarboxylates phenylacetates with a hydroxyl group in the p-position. Active toward 4-hydroxyphenylacetate and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetate, forming 4-methylphenol and 4-methylcatechol, respectively. Is likely involved in the catabolism of aromatic amino acids such as tyrosine fermentation. 4-methylphenol (p-cresol) formation provides metabolic toxicity, which allows an active suppression of other microbes and may provide growth advantages for the producers in highly competitive environments (PubMed:16878993). The large subunit is the catalytic subunit that binds the substrate (PubMed:21823587).