PpiD is a periplasmic folding helper protein of Escherichia coli. It consists of an N-terminal helix that anchors PpiD in the inner membrane near the SecYEG translocon, followed by three periplasmic domains. The second domain (residues 264-357) shows homology to parvulinlike prolyl isomerases. This domain is a well folded, stable protein and follows a simple two-state folding mechanism. In its solution structure, as determined by NMR spectroscopy, it resembles most closely the first parvulin domain of the SurA protein, which resides in the periplasm of E. coli as well. A previously reported prolyl isomerase activity of PpiD could not be reproduced when using improved protease-free peptide assays or assays with refolding proteins as substrates. The parvulin domain of PpiD interacts, however, with a proline-containing tetrapeptide, and the binding site, as identified by NMR resonance shift analysis, colocalized with the catalytic sites of other parvulins. In its structure, the parvulin domain of PpiD resembles most closely the inactive first parvulin domain of SurA, which is part of the chaperone unit of this protein and presumably involved in substrate recognition.Keywords: parvulin; Pin1; prolyl isomerase; SurA; protein maturation; periplasm; SecYEG Abbreviations: PpiD, periplasmic folding helper protein from Escherichia coli; PpiD*, parvulin-like domain of PpiD (residues 264-357); PPIase, peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase; CD, circular dichroism; T M , midpoint of a thermal unfolding transition; DH D , vań t Hoff enthalpy of denaturation at T M ; DG D , Gibbs free energy of denaturation; m, cooperativity value of a denaturant-induced equilibrium unfolding transition; Ds, time constant of a folding reaction; k u , microscopic rate constant and m u (¼ qlnk u /q[urea]), kinetic m-value of unfolding; k f , m f , microscopic rate constant and kinetic m-value of refolding; NOESY, nuclear Overhauser enhancement and exchange spectroscopy; HSQC, hetero single quantum coherence; hNOE, 15 N hetero nuclear NOE; HX, hydrogen exchange; NH, amide proton; RCM-T1, reduced and carboxymethylated form of the S54G/P55N double mutant of ribonuclease T 1 ; N2, N2 domain of the gene 3 protein of phage fd.Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article.