Escherichia coli cytosolic glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (UgpQ) requires Mg2+, Co2+, or Mn2+ for its enzyme activity.

Escherichia coli cytosolic glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase, UgpQ, functions in the absence of other proteins encoded by the ugp operon and requires Mg2+, Mn2+, or Co2+, in contrast to Ca2+-dependent periplasmic glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase, GlpQ. UgpQ has broad substrate specificity toward various glycerophosphodiesters, producing sn-glycerol-3-phosphate and the corresponding alcohols. UgpQ accumulates under conditions of phosphate starvation, suggesting that it allows the utilization of glycerophosphodiesters as a source of phosphate. These results clarify how E. coli utilizes glycerophosphodiesters using two homologous enzymes, UgpQ and GlpQ.