PGP (phosphoglycolate phosphatase), also known as PGPase, is an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the conversion of 2-phosphoglycolate into glycolate and phosphate. PGP is detected in all tissues including red cells, lymphocytes and cultured fibroblasts, with highest activity found in skeletal and cardiac muscle. PGP is considered an important regulatory enzyme on oxygen transport by indirectly affecting the level of red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. PGP plays a major role in photorespiratory 2-phosphoglycolate metabolism, an essential pathway for photosynthesis in plants. Since the discovery of its activity in plants, it has been purified within human cells and implicated in 2,3-DPG regulation.
