Skip to main content
European Commission logo
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS
CORDIS Web 30th anniversary CORDIS Web 30th anniversary
Content archived on 2024-05-27

Inorganic Polyphosphate: Synthesis and Functions, relationship with Inositol Polyphosphates

Objective

Cellular regulation by soluble inositol phosphate messengers has yielded surprising knowledge that reaches well beyond the rigorously characterized regulation of Ca2+ release by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), the best-known inositol phosphate. Inositol pyrophosphates belong to the diverse family of inositol polyphosphate species that have a range of signaling functions. The best-characterized inositol pyrophosphates are diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate (IP7) and the bis-diphosphoinositol tetrakisphosphate (IP8). The activity of inositol pyrophosphates appears to be related to their rapid turnover in cells and also to their pyrophosphate groups, considered to contain high-energy bonds and unique signaling molecules implicated in regulation of processes, including apoptosis, telomere maintenance or vesicular trafficking. Inositol phosphate signaling molecules can directly mediate protein phosphorylation, a new way in which signals can be transduced in cells. Another phosphate molecule, inorganic polyphosphate (poly P), found in every living-cell, is a chain of many tens or hundreds of phosphate residues linked by the same phosphoanhydride bonds as in ATP. Poly P likely was a phosphorylating agent and catalyst of peptide bond formation in prebiotic times. It has been shown that poly P is essential in stringent response, survival for bacterial responses to stresses, starvation and pathogenesis. Yeast mutants, affected in enzymes of the inositol pyrophosphate synthesis have reduced intracellular poly P levels suggesting that inositol pyrophosphates are necessary for poly P synthesis and maintenance. The mechanism by which inositol pyrophosphates are able to transduce the cellular phosphate status into a cascade of signaling events is unknown. The present proposal tries to find links between inositol polyphosphate and poly P in relation to poly P synthesis and their role in cell signaling.

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF
See other projects for this call

Coordinator

MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
EU contribution
€ 236 620,21
Address
20 Park Crescent
W1B 1AL LONDON
United Kingdom

See on map

Activity type
Public bodies (excluding Research Organisations and Secondary or Higher Education Establishments)
Administrative Contact
Adolfo Saiardi (Dr.)
Links
Total cost
No data