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Updated: Nov 9, 2025

Assaying for Inorganic Polyphosphate in Bacteria
Published on: January 21, 2019
Enzymes of Polyphosphate Metabolism in Yeast: Properties, Functions, Practical Significance
Tatiana V Kulakovskaya1, Nadezhda A Andreeva2, Larisa A Ledova2
1Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Research Center for Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia. alla@ibpm.pushchino.ru.
Abstract:
Inorganic polyphosphates (polyP) are the linear polymers of orthophosphoric acid varying in the number of phosphate residues linked by the energy-rich phosphoanhydride bonds. PolyP is an essential component in living cells. Knowledge of polyP metabolizing enzymes in eukaryotes is necessary for understanding molecular mechanisms of polyP metabolism in humans and development of new approaches for treating bone and cardiovascular diseases associated with impaired mineral phosphorus metabolism. Yeast cells represent a rational experimental model for this research due to availability of the methods for studying phosphorus metabolism and construction of knockout mutants and strains overexpressing target proteins. Multicomponent system of polyP metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells is presented in this review discussing properties, functioning, and practical significance of the enzymes involved in the synthesis and degradation of this important metabolite.
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