Biological Aspects of Inorganic Polyphosphates

Wood, Harland G.; Clark, J. E.

doi:10.1146/annurev.bi.57.070188.001315

Cited by 224 publications

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“…This structure may truly represent a reservoir for stored energy and phosphorus and may be regarded as an alternative energy source when ATP is in short supply (Dawes & Senior, 1973). Poly P has a low solubility in water and therefore does not affect the osmotic pressure within bacteria (Wood & Clark, 1988).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of structures containing polyphosphate in Helicobacter pylori

Bode

Mauch

Ditschuneit

et al. 1993

Journal of General Microbiology

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For the first time polyphosphate (poly P) granules have been detected in Helicobacter pylori organisms colonizing the gastric antrum as well as in organisms isolated from the same tissue. Poly P granules showed typical sublimation characteristics during exposure to the electron beam and chipped out of ultrathin sectioning. A prominent phosphorus signal was identified using elemental specific electron microscopy such as electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and was localized to at least three different locations: the cytoplasm, the flagellar pole and in association with the cell membrane. Intracytoplasmatic structures had a diameter of 0.05-0.2 pm, whereas the structures near the flagellar pole were much smaller (0-02 pm). The membrane-associated phosphate aggregates were visible only after staining with Pb(NO,), or with electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI). Poly P granules seem to be important energy and phosphorus stores and it is thought that they participate in the regulation of various and distinct metabolic processes of H. pylori.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of structures containing polyphosphate in Helicobacter pylori

Bode

Mauch

Ditschuneit

et al. 1993

Journal of General Microbiology

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“…Poly-P is ubiquitous, having been found in all organisms (archaea, bacteria, fungi, plants, insects, and mammals) (1)(2)(3). Several poly-P-metabolizing enzymes have been purified and characterized, and the corresponding genes have been cloned and deleted (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). The enzyme that is primarily responsible for reversible poly-P synthesis in Escherichia coli is poly-P kinase 1 (PPK1), which catalyzes the polymerization of the ␥ phosphate of ATP into a poly-P chain (5).…”

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confidence: 99%

Inorganic polyphosphate in Bacillus cereus : Motility, biofilm formation, and sporulation

Shi

Rao

Kornberg

2004

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Chains of inorganic polyphosphate (poly-P) with hundreds of Pi residues linked by phosphoanhydride bonds, as in ATP, are found in every bacterial, fungal, plant, and animal cell, in which they perform various functions. In the spore-forming Bacillus cereus, we have identified three principal enzymes and genes involved in the metabolism of poly-P, namely, (i) poly-P kinase (PPK), which synthesizes poly-P reversibly from ATP, (ii) exopolyphosphatase (PPX), which hydrolyzes poly-P to Pi, and (iii) poly-P͞AMP phosphotransferase (PAP), which uses poly-P as a donor to convert AMP to ADP, reversibly. In the null mutant of ppk, poly-P levels are reduced to <5% of the WT; in the ppx mutant, the PPK activity is elevated 10-fold, and the accumulation of poly-P is elevated Ϸ1,000-fold. All of the null mutants of ppk, ppx, and pap showed defects in motility and biofilm formation, but sporulation efficiency was impaired only in the ppx mutant. These enzymes and genes in B. cereus are nearly identical to those in the very closely related pathogen Bacillus anthracis, and, thus, they may provide attractive targets for the treatment of anthrax.polyphosphate kinase ͉ exopolyphosphatase ͉ polyphosphate͞AMP phosphotransferase

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“…Poly(P) accumulates in massive amounts in many bacteria and fungi and in smaller amounts in every microbe, plant, and animal examined (1)(2)(3). Potential functions of poly(P) include the following: (i) a substitute for ATP for sugar and adenylate kinases (4-6), (ii) a phosphate reservoir (1), (iii) a chelator for divalent cations (7,8), (iv) a buffer for alkaline stress (9), (v) a component in competence for DNA entry and transformation (10,11), and (vi) a factor in regulatory responses to stresses and nutritional deficiencies (12).…”

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confidence: 99%

Inorganic polyphosphate and the induction of rpoS expression

Shiba

Tsutsumi

Yano

et al. 1997

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

183

170

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Inorganic polyphosphate [poly(P)] levels in Escherichia coli were reduced to barely detectable concentrations by expression of the plasmid-borne gene for a potent yeast exopolyphosphatase [poly(P)ase]. As a consequence, resistance to H 2 O 2 was greatly diminished, particularly in katG (catalase HPI) mutants, implying a major role for the other catalase, the stationary-phase KatE (HPII), which is rpoS dependent. Resistance was restored to wild-type levels by complementation with plasmids expressing ppk, the gene for PPK [the polyphosphate kinase that generates poly(P)]. Induction of expression of both katE and rpoS (the stationaryphase factor) was prevented in cells in which the poly(P)ase was overproduced. Inasmuch as this inhibition by poly(P)ase did not affect the levels of the stringent-response guanosine nucleotides (pppGpp and ppGpp) and in view of the capacity of additional rpoS expression to suppress the poly(P)ase inhibition of katE expression, a role is proposed for poly(P) in inducing the expression of rpoS.

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Biological Aspects of Inorganic Polyphosphates

Cited by 224 publications

References 0 publications

Identification of structures containing polyphosphate in Helicobacter pylori

Identification of structures containing polyphosphate in Helicobacter pylori

Inorganic polyphosphate in Bacillus cereus : Motility, biofilm formation, and sporulation

Inorganic polyphosphate and the induction of rpoS expression

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