In the archaeon?Sulfolobus solfataricus?the enzyme is involved in glucose and galactose catabolism via the branched variant of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway. It utilizes 2-dehydro-3-deoxy-6-phosphate-D-gluconate and 2-dehydro-3-deoxy-6-phosphate-D-galactonate with similar catalytic efficiency.?In vitro?the enzyme can also catalyse the cleavage of the non-phosphorylated forms 2-dehydro-3-deoxy-D-gluconate and 2-dehydro-3-deoxy-D-galactonate with much lower catalytic efficiency.?cf. EC?4.1.2.21, 2-dehydro-3-deoxy-6-phosphogalactonate aldolase, and EC?4.1.2.14, 2-dehydro-3-deoxy-phosphogluconate aldolase.
