E. coli produces a second protein responsible for degradation of (p)ppGpp, SpoT. When the amino acid balance in the cell is restored, (p)ppGpp is hydrolyzed by SpoT and returned to a more energetically favorable state. This protein also has the capacity to synthesize (p)ppGpp, and seems to be the primary synthase under certain conditions of stress. Most other bacteria encode a single protein that is responsible for both synthesis and degradation of (p)ppGpp, generally homologs of SpoT.