It appears the role of this enzyme, in vitro, is to decatenate the daughter chromosomes in the final stages of DNA replication. The enzyme shows a great deal of sequence homology with DNA gyrase. A protein, while the ParE subunit is homologous to the gyrase B protein. The structure of the N-terminal region of either protein is similar to the equivalent region of E.coli protein. However, the 25 kDa C-terminal domain of the protein is disordered in both the structures.
Efforts are underway to crystallise the intact complex.
The gyrase B protein is the target of the coumarin antibiotics. The gyrase B protein is also inhibited by a group of naturally occuring cyclic peptides called cyclothialidines.