title: Nuclear polyphosphate as a possible source of energy during the sporulation of Physarum polycephalum.
abstract: 31P NMR spectroscopic analysis of the polyphosphate pool in cellular and nuclear extracts of Physarum polycephalum demonstrates that plasmodia and cysts contain inorganic polyphosphates with an average chain length of about 100 phosphates. However, only during sporulation are these high-molecular-weight polyphosphates degraded to a lower molecular weight corresponding to an average chain length of about 10 phosphates. Since polyphosphates are degraded even in the presence of a sufficiently large pool of inorganic phosphate, produced by intracellular injection, we conclude that the degradation of polyphosphates serves in supplying energy for biosynthesis during sporulation rather than in increasing the availability of phosphate.
authors.affiliation: Fachbereich 1 (Physik), Universität Bremen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pilatus
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
mesh_terms: D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D010758:Phosphorus; D010804:Physarum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011122:Polyphosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011122:Polyphosphates; D010758:Phosphorus