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Journal of Bacteriology, December 2009, p. 7410-7416, Vol. 191, No. 24
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.01138-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Polyphosphate Accumulation in Escherichia coli in Response to Defects in DNA Metabolism{triangledown}

Luciana Amado and Andrei Kuzminov*

Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois

Received 26 August 2009/ Accepted 7 October 2009

Phenol-chloroform extraction of [32P]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.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: B103 C&LSL, 601 South Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801-3709. Phone: (217) 265-0329. Fax: (217) 244-6697. E-mail: kuzminov{at}life.uiuc.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 16 October 2009.

Journal of Bacteriology, December 2009, p. 7410-7416, Vol. 191, No. 24
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.01138-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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