Involved in biosynthesis of the thiamine precursor thiazole. Catalyzes the conversion of NAD and glycine to adenosine diphosphate 5-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-methylthiazole-2-carboxylic acid (ADT), an adenylated thiazole intermediate. The reaction includes an iron-dependent sulfide transfer from a conserved cysteine residue of the protein to a thiazole intermediate. The enzyme can only undergo a single turnover, which suggests it is a suicide enzyme. May have additional roles in adaptation to various stress conditions and in DNA damage tolerance