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. 1985 Apr;162(1):242–247. doi: 10.1128/jb.162.1.242-247.1985

Amount and chain length of polyphosphates in Escherichia coli depend on cell growth conditions.

N N Rao, M F Roberts, A Torriani
PMCID: PMC218980  PMID: 3884591

Abstract

Anaerobiosis induced an accumulation of polyphosphates (poly Pi) in a phosphate-rich medium by an alkaline-phosphatase constitutive mutant of Escherichia coli. The total poly Pi content was maximum at around 6 h of anaerobic growth. Both trichloroacetic acid- and NaOH-soluble poly Pi were found to be present. The acid-soluble fraction consisted mainly of a linear polymer of about 20 +/- 5 phosphate units, whereas the alkali-extractable poly Pi fraction contained at least four molecular species of higher chain length as determined by gel filtration. The majority of poly Pi extracted at 6 h had lower chain lengths than those extracted from cells incubated for 24 h. In vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of E. coli cells as a function of growth conditions were consistent with the in vitro extract results.

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Selected References

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