This domain is found at the C termini of several Penicillin-binding proteins and bacterial serine/threonine kinases [1]. It binds the beta-lactam stem, which implicates it in sensing D-alanyl-D-alanine - the PBP transpeptidase substrate. It is a small globular fold consisting of 3 beta-sheets and an alpha-helix. The name PASTA is derived from PBP and Serine/Threonine kinase Associated domain.

1: The PASTA domain: a beta-lactam-binding domain. Yeats C, Finn R, Bateman A; Trends Biochem Sci 2002;27:438-440. PMID:12217513

2: New Knowledge from Old: In silico discovery of novel protein domains in Streptomyces coelicolor. Yeats C, Bentley S, Bateman A; BMC Microbiol 2003;3:3-3. PMID:12625841