Freimoser:Research
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==Research== | ==Research== | ||
| - | + | The focus of the research in our group is a simple | |
| + | molecule: <strong>inorganic | ||
| + | polyphosphate (poly P)</strong>. Poly P is a linear polymer that consists of a variable number of | ||
| + | phosphate residues | ||
| + | (from three to more than a thousand) that are | ||
| + | linked by energy-rich phosphoanhydride bonds. It has been detected | ||
| + | in all organisms and living cells and was found in many organelles. | ||
| + | In eukaryotes, poly P is particularly | ||
| + | prominent in fungi, algae and trypanosomatids. | ||
| + | Poly P serves as a phosphate and energy store and regulates | ||
| + | enzymes, chromatin condensation | ||
| + | and translation. Poly P is also involved in bacterial pathogenicity, | ||
| + | survival during stationary phase in | ||
| + | bacteria and yeast, or the adaptation to alkaline and osmotic stress. | ||
| + | In the slime mold <i>Dictyostelium discoideum</i>, poly P regulates | ||
| + | development and predation behaviour, and in humans blood coagulation is | ||
| + | accelerated and fibrinolysis is delayed by poly P. | ||
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| + | <div style="font color:#000000; padding: 5px 10px 0px 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px"> | ||
| + | [[Image:yeast.jpg|center]] | ||
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| + | <h3>Poly P in ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'':</h3> We have developed a fast and easy method for the quantification of poly P in yeast, which is amenable for large-scale analyses. This allowed extraction and quantification of poly P in mutant strains of all non-essential yeast genes. From this screen we conclude that at least 5% of all yeast genes are required for the maintenance of normal poly P levels. We are now studying specific pathways to determine their link with poly P metabolism. In addition, we study phenotypical differences in poly P hypo- and hyper-accumulating strains in order to learn more about the biological significance of poly P accumulation in yeast. | ||
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| + | [[Image:cellwall_polyP.jpg|center]] | ||
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| + | <h3>Cell wall localized poly P:</h3> One of our major goals and a very difficult problem is the specific localization of poly P. We have developed a staining method that is based on poly P binding proteins and immunohistochemical detection that allows for highly sensitive localization of poly P in fungal cell walls. We have used this technique for a systematic study of poly P in fungi from all fungal phyla. In the future we will also define procedures to stain poly P intracellularly. | ||
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| + | |} | ||
Current revision
Research
The focus of the research in our group is a simple molecule: inorganic polyphosphate (poly P). Poly P is a linear polymer that consists of a variable number of phosphate residues (from three to more than a thousand) that are linked by energy-rich phosphoanhydride bonds. It has been detected in all organisms and living cells and was found in many organelles. In eukaryotes, poly P is particularly prominent in fungi, algae and trypanosomatids. Poly P serves as a phosphate and energy store and regulates enzymes, chromatin condensation and translation. Poly P is also involved in bacterial pathogenicity, survival during stationary phase in bacteria and yeast, or the adaptation to alkaline and osmotic stress. In the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, poly P regulates development and predation behaviour, and in humans blood coagulation is accelerated and fibrinolysis is delayed by poly P.
