PPA1 is a member of the PPase family. PPA1 catalyzes the conversion of one molecule of pyrophosphate to two phosphate ions. Many biochemical pathways use the hydrolysis of PPi to two phosphate ions to make the reactions permanently irreversible. A prominent illustration of this phenomenon is the inorganic pyrophosphatase catalyzation in the hydrolysis reaction at the beginning of lipid degradation. Inorganic pyrophosphatase provides the motivation for the activation of fatty acids destined for oxidation by stimulating the rapid hydrolysis of pyrophosphate.
