This domain is found in diverse bacterial signalling proteins. It is called EAL after its conserved residues. The EAL domain has been shown to stimulate degradation of a second messenger, cyclic di-GMP [ PUBMED:15063857 PUBMED:15289546 expand

This domain is found in diverse bacterial signalling proteins. It is called EAL after its conserved residues. The EAL domain has been shown to stimulate degradation of a second messenger, cyclic di-GMP [ PUBMED:15063857 PUBMED:15289546 PUBMED:15306016 ], and is a good candidate for a diguanylate phosphodiesterase function. Together with the GGDEF domain, EAL might be involved in regulating cell surface adhesiveness in bacteria [ PUBMED:11557134 ]. The domain contains many conserved acidic residues that could participate in metal binding and might form the phosphodiesterase active site. It often but not always occurs along with IPR000014 and IPR000160 domains that are also found in many signalling proteins.