title: Inorganic polyphosphate is required for motility of bacterial pathogens.
abstract: The ppk gene encodes polyphosphate kinase (PPK), the principal enzyme in many bacteria responsible for the synthesis of inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) from ATP. A null mutation in the ppk gene of six bacterial pathogens renders them greatly impaired in motility on semisolid agar plates; this defect can be corrected by the introduction of ppk gene in trans. In view of the fact that the motility of pathogens is essential to invade and establish systemic infections in host cells, this impairment in motility suggests a crucial and essential role of PPK or polyP in bacterial pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rashid
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kornberg
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005407:Flagella / Q000235:genetics; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009154:Mutation; D017856:Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor) / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011122:Polyphosphates / Q000378:metabolism*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D011122:Polyphosphates; D017856:Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor); C022424:polyphosphate kinase