This enzyme is one of the three enzymes involved in L-dopa (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) catabolism in the non-oxygenic phototrophic bacterium Rubrivivax benzoatilyticus OU5 (and not Rhodobacter sphaeroides OU5 as had been thought [1]), the other two being EC 4.3.1.22 (dihydroxyphenylalanine reductive deaminase) and EC 2.6.1.49 (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine transaminase). In addition to DOPA, the enzyme can also use L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, L-tryptophan and glutamate as substrate, but more slowly. The enzyme is inhibited by NADH and 2-oxoglutarate.