Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Biosynthesis of Polysaccharides01:26

Biosynthesis of Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides such as glycogen and starch are synthesized from nucleoside diphosphate sugars, primarily uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPG) and adenosine diphosphate glucose (ADPG). These activated glucose donors act as key intermediates in carbohydrate metabolism and biosynthesis. UDPG primarily involves glycogen synthesis in animals and many bacteria, while ADPG plays a fundamental role in starch synthesis in plants and certain bacteria.UDPG is formed when glucose-1-phosphate reacts with...
Stringent Response in E. coli01:23

Stringent Response in E. coli

Bacterial growth is closely tied to nutrient availability, with cells proliferating exponentially under favorable conditions and entering a stationary phase when resources become scarce. This transition is mediated by a regulatory mechanism known as the stringent response, which allows bacteria to adapt to nutrient deprivation by modulating gene expression and metabolic activity.During nutrient scarcity, intracellular amino acid levels decline. It results in the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs...
Compounds Essential to Human Function01:25

Compounds Essential to Human Function

The human body is composed of cells that are fundamentally made up of several different molecules. These molecules are essential to carry out all physiological processes in the body and are broadly classified into organic and inorganic based on their chemical structures.
Inorganic Compounds Essential to Human Functioning
Inorganic compounds essential to human functioning include water, salts, acids, and bases. These compounds are inorganic, i.e., they do not have a carbon-hydrogen bond. Water...
Cell Inclusions01:27

Cell Inclusions

Prokaryotic cells possess a variety of inclusions that play crucial roles in nutrient storage, metabolic processes, and environmental adaptation. These structures enable bacteria to thrive under fluctuating environmental conditions by storing essential resources and optimizing their metabolic efficiency.Carbon Storage: Poly-β-Hydroxybutyric Acid and Glycogen GranulesBacteria frequently store excess carbon in specialized granules. Poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) granules are lipid polymers that...
Phosphoinositides and PIPs01:42

Phosphoinositides and PIPs

Phosphoinositides are a group of phospholipids containing a glycerol backbone with two fatty acid chains and a phosphate attached to a myoinositol sugar ring. The inositol head group extends into the cytoplasm, where it is modified by adding phosphate groups to form phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs.
Different phosphoinositides are synthesized and recruited on the cytosolic face of the plasma membrane. The localization of specific phosphoinositides concentrated in separate membrane...
IP3/DAG Signaling Pathway01:11

IP3/DAG Signaling Pathway

Membrane lipids such as phosphatidylinositol (PI) are precursors for several membrane-bound and soluble second messengers. Specific kinases phosphorylate PI and produce phosphorylated inositol phospholipids. One such inositol phospholipids are the  phosphatidylinositol-4,5 bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2], present in the inner half of the lipid bilayer. Upon ligand binding, GPCR stimulates Gq proteins to turn on phospholipase Cꞵ. Activated phospholipase Cꞵ cleaves PI(4,5)P2 and produces two-second...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Dual role of inorganic polyphosphate in cardiac myocytes: The importance of polyP chain length for energy metabolism and mPTP activation.

Archives of biochemistry and biophysics·2018
Same author

Understanding butanol tolerance and assimilation in Pseudomonas putida BIRD-1: an integrated omics approach.

Microbial biotechnology·2016
Same author

A Pseudomonas putida double mutant deficient in butanol assimilation: a promising step for engineering a biological biofuel production platform.

FEMS microbiology letters·2016
Same author

Mechanisms of solvent resistance mediated by interplay of cellular factors in Pseudomonas putida.

FEMS microbiology reviews·2015
Same author

Inorganic polyphosphate regulates neuronal excitability through modulation of voltage-gated channels.

Molecular brain·2014
Same author

Role of polyphosphate in thermophilic Synechococcus sp. from microbial mats.

Journal of bacteriology·2013

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Assaying for Inorganic Polyphosphate in Bacteria
07:20

Assaying for Inorganic Polyphosphate in Bacteria

Published on: January 21, 2019

Inorganic polyphosphate: essential for growth and survival.

Narayana N Rao1, María R Gómez-García, Arthur Kornberg

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. nnrao23@rediffmail.com

Annual Review of Biochemistry
|April 7, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Inorganic polyphosphate (Poly P) is vital for cell survival and the origin of life. Enzymes like PPK1 and PPK2, crucial for Poly P synthesis, are promising targets for new anti-infective drugs.

More Related Videos

Extraction and Quantification of Soluble, Radiolabeled Inositol Polyphosphates from Different Plant Species using SAX-HPLC
09:01

Extraction and Quantification of Soluble, Radiolabeled Inositol Polyphosphates from Different Plant Species using SAX-HPLC

Published on: June 26, 2020

Preparation of Quality Inositol Pyrophosphates
10:34

Preparation of Quality Inositol Pyrophosphates

Published on: September 3, 2011

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Assaying for Inorganic Polyphosphate in Bacteria
07:20

Assaying for Inorganic Polyphosphate in Bacteria

Published on: January 21, 2019

Extraction and Quantification of Soluble, Radiolabeled Inositol Polyphosphates from Different Plant Species using SAX-HPLC
09:01

Extraction and Quantification of Soluble, Radiolabeled Inositol Polyphosphates from Different Plant Species using SAX-HPLC

Published on: June 26, 2020

Preparation of Quality Inositol Pyrophosphates
10:34

Preparation of Quality Inositol Pyrophosphates

Published on: September 3, 2011

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Origin of Life Studies

Background:

  • Inorganic polyphosphate (Poly P) is a polymer of phosphate residues found in all cells, playing a role in the origin and survival of species.
  • Poly P is essential for cell growth, stress responses, and pathogen virulence, acting as a crucial polyanion.
  • The enzyme polyphosphate kinase 1 (PPK1) is conserved in many bacteria and pathogens, responsible for Poly P synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the extensive evidence for Poly P's role in the emergence and survival of cells.
  • To highlight the significance of PPK1 and PPK2 enzymes as potential therapeutic targets for microbial diseases.
  • To explore the function of a novel Poly P-actin fiber complex and its homologs in various organisms.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature and structural studies on Poly P and related enzymes.
  • Analysis of conserved enzyme structures, particularly the ATP-binding site of PPK1.
  • Investigation of enzyme kinetics and cellular roles, including virulence and biofilm formation.

Main Results:

  • Poly P's polyanionic properties are key to its role in early cell emergence and survival.
  • Mutants lacking PPK1 exhibit defects in motility, quorum sensing, biofilm formation, and virulence.
  • PPK1's ATP-binding site is conserved and can be targeted by inhibitors; PPK2 is also implicated in virulence.
  • A Poly P-actin fiber complex in Dictyostelium discoideum responds to metabolic signals, with homologs in pathogens.

Conclusions:

  • Poly P and its synthesizing enzymes (PPK1, PPK2) are critical for diverse cellular functions and pathogen virulence.
  • PPK1 and PPK2, absent in yeast and animals, represent attractive novel targets for anti-infective drug development.
  • Further research into Poly P's cellular operations may reveal additional therapeutic strategies against microbial diseases.