This domain family is found in bacteria, and is approximately 40 amino acids in length. The proteins in this family are members of the acetyltransferases of the GNAT family. Family members such as PanZ has been shown to be involved in the biosynthesis of Coenzyme A (CoA). CoA is a ubiquitous and essential cofactor, synthesized from the precursor pantothenate. In all organisms, the final step in pantothenate biosynthesis relies on the presence of beta-alanine, which comes from different sources in bacteria, yeast, and plants. In bacteria, beta-alanine is derived by the action of alpha-decarboxylase (ADC) enzyme. PanZ promotes the activation of the zymogen, PanD, to form aspartate alpha-decarboxylase (ADC) in a CoA-dependent manner. Thereby, playing an essential role in the biosynthetic pathway to pantothenate and the regulation of CoA biosynthesis. Structure and function studies show that direct interaction of PanD with the PanZ Arg43-Leu46 loop promotes PanD to adopt a reactive conformation, which leads to activation [1].

1: The structure of the PanD/PanZ protein complex reveals negative feedback regulation of pantothenate biosynthesis by coenzyme A. Monteiro DC, Patel V, Bartlett CP, Nozaki S, Grant TD, Gowdy JA, Thompson GS, Kalverda AP, Snell EH, Niki H, Pearson AR, Webb ME; Chem Biol. 2015;22:492-503. PMID:25910242