title: Polyphosphate accumulation in Escherichia coli in response to defects in DNA metabolism.
abstract: Phenol-chloroform extraction of [(32)P]orthophosphate-labeled Escherichia coli cells followed by alkaline gel electrophoresis revealed, besides the expected chromosomal DNA, two non-DNA species that we have identified as lipopolysaccharides and polyphosphates by using a combination of biochemical and genetic techniques. We used this serendipitously found straightforward protocol for direct polyphosphate detection to quantify polyphosphate levels in E. coli mutants with diverse defects in the DNA metabolism. We detected increased polyphosphate accumulation in the ligA, ligA recBCD, dut ung, and thyA mutants. Polyphosphate accumulation may thus be an indicator of general DNA stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Amado
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuzminov
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017353:Gene Deletion; D011122:Polyphosphates / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D011122:Polyphosphates; D004247:DNA