This family includes pyruvate formate lyase 2 (PFL2), B12-independent glycerol dehydratase (DhaB) and the alpha subunit of benzylsuccinate synthase (BssA), all of which have a highly conserved ten-stranded alpha/beta barrel domain, which is similar to those of PFL1 (pyruvate formate lyase 1) and RNR (ribonucleotide reductase). Pyruvate formate lyase catalyzes a key step in anaerobic glycolysis, the conversion of pyruvate and CoenzymeA to formate and acetylCoA. DhaB catalyzes the first step in the conversion of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol while BssA catalyzes the first step in the anaerobic mineralization of both toluene and m-xylene.