Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 16, 2025
07:20
Assaying for Inorganic Polyphosphate in Bacteria
Published on: January 21, 2019
9.0K
Inorganic polyphosphate in host and microbe biology
Marvin Q Bowlin1, Michael J Gray1
1Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 845 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
Trends in Microbiology
|February 26, 2021
Summary
Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) regulates bacterial virulence and host immunity. This review explores polyP synthesis, its role in infections, and potential drug targets for treating diseases.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is synthesized by bacteria and eukaryotic hosts, impacting their interactions.
- The regulation of bacterial polyP synthesis and its biological roles are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on bacterial polyP synthesis regulation.
- To explore polyP's role in bacterial virulence and host immune responses.
- To discuss the development of drugs targeting bacterial polyP synthesis.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent developments in polyP research.
- Analysis of studies on bacterial polyP synthesis and function.
- Examination of research on polyP's impact on the mammalian immune system.
Main Results:
- PolyP plays significant roles in host-pathogen interactions.
- PolyP influences bacterial virulence and mammalian immune responses.
- Targeting bacterial polyP synthesis is a potential therapeutic strategy.
Conclusions:
- Further research is needed to elucidate polyP synthesis regulation in bacteria.
- PolyP is a key factor in infectious diseases and immune modulation.
- Developing drugs against bacterial polyP synthesis offers a novel approach to infectious disease treatment.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Plasmids
572
Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA molecules found in bacteria, archaea, and some eukaryotic microbes like yeast. These small, circular DNA structures typically contain fewer than 30 genes, although some may exist linearly. Plasmids vary in their number within a cell, known as copy number. Single-copy plasmids are present in one copy per cell and multi-copy plasmids are present in multiple copies, reaching over 100 copies per cell.Plasmids usually replicate independently of the chromosomal DNA...
572
01:27Cell Inclusions
454
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...
454
01:26DNA Bacteriophages
412
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically infect bacteria, utilizing their genetic material to hijack host cellular machinery for replication. DNA bacteriophages employ single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes. These phages exhibit diverse replication strategies and host interactions, influencing their ecological roles and applications in biotechnology and medicine.ssDNA BacteriophagesssDNA phages, with their small genomes, utilize unique strategies to...
412
01:42Phosphoinositides and PIPs
9.5K
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...
Different phosphoinositides are synthesized and recruited on the cytosolic face of the plasma membrane. The localization of specific phosphoinositides concentrated in separate membrane...
9.5K
01:10Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria
3.2K
Intracellular bacteria and viruses often comprise a group of highly infectious pathogens that can cause several diseases. Bacterial pathogens include those belonging to the genus Rickettsia responsible for conditions such as rocky mountain spotted fever and the Mediterranean spotted fever; Chlamydia, a genus responsible for a sexually transmitted disease; Coxiella burnetii, an agent responsible for Q fever. Viral pathogens include vaccinia—a poxvirus, and herpes simplex virus—a...
3.2K
01:16Viral Replication: Lysogenic Cycle
762
The lysogenic cycle is a crucial viral replication strategy that allows bacteriophages to persist within host cells without immediately destroying them. This process is primarily observed in temperate phages, such as bacteriophage lambda (λ), which infects Escherichia coli. The cycle allows the viral genome to persist across bacterial generations while keeping host cells viable.Integration of the Viral GenomeUpon infection, bacteriophage lambda attaches to the bacterial surface and injects...
762