text: Directed overflow is a special case of damage pre-emption, where excess of a normal, but reactive metabolite could lead to toxic products. Preventing this excess is thus pre-emption of potential damage.
  The first two intermediates in riboflavin biosynthesis are highly reactive and can spontaneously break down to 5-phosphoribosylamine and Maillard reaction products, which are highly reactive and harmful. The enzyme COG3236 hydrolyzes these two first intermediates into two less harmful products, thus preventing the harm they would otherwise cause.