The Biochemistry of Inorganic Polyphosphates

Based on world literature and on experimental material obtained by the author and his collaborators, providing an overview of the chemistry of condensed phosphates and expounding the state of the problem of distribution, intracellular localization, metabolism, and physiological role of polyphosphates in the vital activity of contemporary organisms and in the evolution process.

More than one hundred years ago, L. Liberman found high-polymeric inorganic polyphosphates (PolyP) in living organisms. These compounds are linear polymers containing a few to several hundred residues of orthophosphate (Pi) linked by energy-rich phosphoanhydride bonds. However, these mysterious cell components have as yet been ignored in most biochemistry manuals.

This research being undertaken in this fast-developing field often yields unexpected results revealing the most important regulatory mechanisms of the living cell.

The Biochemistry of Inorganic Polyphosphates 2nd edition concentrates on the modern concepts of PolyP biochemistry and includes such topics as

• the chemical structure and properties of condensed inorganic phosphates
  • characteristics of the known enzymes of PolyP metabolism
  • the functions of PolyP and PolyP-dependent enzymes, including phosphate and energy reservation, sequestration and storage of cations, formation of membrane channels, involvement in cell envelope formation and function, gene activity control, regulation of enzyme activities, participation in stress response and stationary phase adaptation.
    • a critical analysis of the methods of isolation and quantitative assay of PolyP in the cells.
    • localization and forms of PolyP in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
    • the applied aspects of PolyP biochemistry.
  • inorganic PolyP in chemical and biological evolution
  This book will be of interest to research chemists, biochemists, microbiologists and postgraduate students.